Your guess is as good as mine

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Meaning of "Your guess is as good as mine"

Meaning

The idiom 'Your guess is as good as mine' is used to express uncertainty, and to imply that one does not know the answer to a certain question or which outcome may come of a certain situation. This phrase is used to express ignorance of the topic at hand in a polite way.

Etymology

The phrase 'Your guess is as good as mine' originated in the United States in the early to mid 1900s. While the exact origin of the phrase is unknown, the general idea has been around since the 1600s. A phrase very similar to 'Your guess is as good as mine' was used in the late 1600s, "thou mayest as well say one thing as another". This essentially implies the same idea, that one does not know the answer and has no way of guessing it.

Usage

This phrase is typically used as a response when someone poses a question that there is no easy answer to. It can also be used to show that one has no opinion on the matter and is not sure which outcome may come of a certain situation. It is often used as a polite way of avoiding a potential argument or disagreement between two people. It can also be used to diffuse a situation by suggesting that the answer doesn’t matter because neither person knows what the right answer is.

Example Sentences

• Q: Who will win the election? A: Your guess is as good as mine.
• Q: How long will this take? A: Your guess is as good as mine.
• Q: What will happen next? A: Your guess is as good as mine.

The universal role of idioms

"Kill two birds with one stone" is an English idiom that means to accomplish two things with a single action. In French, the similar idiom is "Faire d'une pierre deux coups," which translates to "To kill two birds with one stone." This idiom highlights the efficiency of completing two tasks with one action.