English Idioms and Expressions 

Idioms: Intelligence, Smartness and Comprehension-4
from:  'not miss a trick'  to: 'see in a new light'

• not/never miss a trick
  • If a person never misses a trick, they are very alert and aware of everything that is happening around them.
    "The old lady next door will know if Bill is there or not - she never misses a trick!"
    
    
• not playing with a full deck
  • Someone who is not playing with a full deck (of cards) lacks intelligence or does not have full mental abilities.
    "Old Mrs.Whitehead was not playing with a full deck when she bought that fancy lawnmower!"
    
    
• not the brightest bulb in the box
  not the sharpest knife in the drawer
  not the sharpest tool in the shed
  
  • ‘Sharp’ and ‘bright’ both mean ‘clever’ or ‘intelligent’.
    These are a few of the expressions used to say that someone is not very intelligent. There are many others.
    "Max has failed the exam for the third time! He's obviously not the brightest bulb in the box!"
    "Nobody was surprised when Johnny misunderstood the message. We all know he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer!"
    
    
• muddy the waters
  • If you muddy the waters, you make something less clear by giving confusing information.
    "I had difficulty understanding, and Alan's explanation just muddied the waters!"
    
    
• (a) no-brainer
  • A decision or choice that requires little or no thought, because the best option is so obvious, is called a no-brainer.
    "The choice was between a cash refund or having the amount credited to my account - it was a no-brainer. I took the cash!"
    
    
• out of your depth
  • If you are out of your depth, you are unable to understand a subject or deal with a situation because it is too difficult for you.
    "The level of the class was too high for me, so very quickly I felt out of my depth."
    
    
• out to lunch
  • To say that someone is out to lunch means that they seem to be either unaware of what's going on around them, or unable to understand what is happening.
    "He's hopeless as a leader - considererd as 'out to lunch' by the group."
    
    
• the penny drops
  • When a person has difficulty understanding or realizing something, and then the penny drops, they finally understand.
    "The teasing continued for some time until the penny dropped and the boy realized it was a joke!"
    
    
• put on your thinking cap
  • If you tell someone to put their thinking cap on, you ask them to find an idea or try to understand and solve a problem by thinking about it.
    "Now here's this week's quiz; it's time to put on your thinking caps!"
    
    
• put (someone) in the picture
  • If you give somebody all the information necessary to enable them to fully understand a situation, you put them in the picture.
    "Some changes were made during your absence. Let me put you in the picture."
    
    
• put two and two together
  • A person who can is capable of reaching the right conclusion based on the information they have.
    "Forget your explanation. She won't believe you. She can put two and two together!"
    
    
• quick off the mark
  • If someone is quick off the mark, they are quick to react to an event or take advantage of an opportunity.
    "You've got to be quick off the mark when stores announce special offers."
    
    
• quick/slow on the uptake
  • Someone who is quick or slow on the uptake is quick or slow to understand what is meant.
    "Please explain the problem in simple words - I'm a bit slow on the uptake!"
    
    
• read between the lines
  • Someone who can read between the lines is able to understand something that has not been expressed clearly or openly.
    "Although it hadn't been announced that the plant was going to close down, he could read between the lines."
    
    
• rocket science
  • If you say 'it's not rocket science' or 'no need to be a rocket scientist', you are emphasizing that something presents no major difficulty.
    "Bob will explain how it works. Don't worry - it's not rocket science!"
    
    
• see something in a new light
  • If you see something in a new light, you view the situation differently or change your opinion after gaining new information.
    "After listening to my colleague's explanation, I began to see things in a new light."