room-temperature IQ en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
A room-temperature IQ would be around 20 (Celsius) or 68 (Fahrenheit), both well below the average IQ of 100.
Meanings
- (derogatory, slang) A below average IQ.
-
(broadly, derogatory, figuratively, slang) A dull or unintelligent mind.
“Sara? I need you to call Home Depot, see if you can get someone on the phone with at least a room-temperature IQ . . .”
2011, Gregg Loomis, The Coptic Secret, Dorchester Publishing, →ISBN, page 51:“The guy's got a room-temperature IQ. He dropped out of grade school. To him, DNA is probably just three letters.”
2000, Maggie Price, On Dangerous Ground, Silhouette Books, →ISBN:It's the proverbial two-way street; treat a guide like he has more than a room-temperature IQ, and he'll do likewise.
1990 June, Jim Bashline, “An Honorable Profession”, in Field & Stream:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| room temperature IQ | alternative | lexicographic | |
| room temperature I.Q. | alternative | lexicographic | |
| room-temperature I.Q. | alternative | lexicographic | |
| room-temperature IQs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |