Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

know beans about en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (US, in negative constructions) To know something, even if only a little, about.
    • But the great artist doesn't know "beans" about driving oxen. He has put his driver on the "off" side of the yoke. 1881 February 7, “Notes of the Fine Arts”, in New York Times, retrieved 22 Sep 2009, page 3:
    • If wealth managers actually knew beans about anything, they would be in asset management. 2008 July 14, Charles Paikert, “Ken Fisher”, in InvestmentNews, retrieved 22 Sep 2009:
    • If this self-styled expert in the field of human relations knew beans about handling people he'd get more work out of the women and fewer tears. 1963 March 12, “Dear Ann Landers”, in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, retrieved 22 Sep 2009, page 17:
  2. (US, idiomatic) To know nothing, or almost nothing, about.
    • His primary opponent, Raphael Herman, is a real estate salesman who frankly admits he knows beans about insurance. 1986 August 22, “Editorial: The Cabinet Races”, in Gainesville Sun, retrieved 22 Sep 2009, page 18A:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
knows beans about Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
knew beans about Tense=Past lexicographic
knowing beans about Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
known beans about Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Relateds

jack shit

Translations (7)

pt entender bulhufas de (to know nothing, or almost nothing, about) · yue 識條毛 /识条毛 (to know nothing, or almost nothing, about) · es estar pez (to know nothing, or almost nothing, about) · yue 識條春 /识条春 (to know nothing, or almost nothing, about) · es no saber de la misa la media (to know nothing, or almost nothing, about) · pt saber chongas sobre (to know nothing, or almost nothing, about) · cmn 懂个屁 (to know nothing, or almost nothing, about)