Forgetfulness is a common human experience, whether it’s misplacing keys or forgetting an appointment. Our language is rich with expressions and idioms that capture these moments of memory lapse in colorful and often humorous ways. This blog post explores 20 such expressions related to forgetfulness, providing you with a fun and relatable way to talk about those times when your memory just doesn’t cooperate.
Expressions Related to Forgetfulness
1. Slip one’s mind
Meaning: To forget something.
Example: The meeting completely slipped my mind!
2. Draw a blank
Meaning: To be unable to remember or think of something.
Example: I drew a blank when I tried to recall his name.
3. Go in one ear and out the other
Meaning: Quickly forgotten after hearing.
Example: His advice went in one ear and out the other.
4. Out to lunch
Meaning: Not paying attention or forgetful.
Example: I was out to lunch during the lecture.
5. Lose the thread
Meaning: To forget what you were thinking or talking about.
Example: I lost the thread of our conversation.
6. Mind like a sieve
Meaning: A very forgetful mind.
Example: I’ve got a mind like a sieve these days.
7. Senior moment
Meaning: A moment of forgetfulness typically associated with aging.
Example: I forgot my keys—must be having a senior moment.
8. It escaped me
Meaning: To forget something.
Example: The name just escaped me.
9. Not ring a bell
Meaning: Not recall something.
Example: That name doesn’t ring a bell.
10. Blanking out
Meaning: Temporarily unable to remember something.
Example: I blanked out during the exam.
11. Space out
Meaning: To be distracted or unfocused.
Example: I totally spaced out and missed my stop.
12. Memory like a goldfish
Meaning: Very short memory.
Example: He has a memory like a goldfish.
13. Scatterbrained
Meaning: Unable to think clearly or organize one’s thoughts.
Example: I’m so scatterbrained today.
14. Leave something behind
Meaning: To forget to take something with you.
Example: I left my phone behind at the restaurant.
15. Skip one’s mind
Meaning: Forget something.
Example: Your birthday just skipped my mind.
16. Foggy memory
Meaning: Unclear or confused memory.
Example: I have a foggy memory of that day.
17. It doesn’t come to mind
Meaning: Unable to remember something when needed.
Example: His address doesn’t come to mind.
18. Let something slip
Meaning: Accidentally reveal something or forget to mention.
Example: I let it slip that I was planning a surprise.
19. Forget oneself
Meaning: To act inappropriately or out of character, forgetting one’s manners or principles.
Example: He forgot himself and yelled at the clerk.
20. Wipe from one’s memory
Meaning: Completely forget something, often deliberately.
Example: I’ve wiped that embarrassing moment from my memory.
