As daft as a brush
Meaning
To be extremely silly, foolish, or lacking common sense.
Origin
The phrase 'as daft as a brush' likely emerged from the simple, everyday observation that a brush – a common household tool – possesses absolutely no intelligence or capacity for thought. It's a blunt instrument, unthinking and unfeeling, used for menial tasks. The vivid simile takes this inherent brainlessness and applies it to a person, humorously exaggerating their foolishness by equating their mental capacity to that of a completely inanimate object. It's a classic piece of British linguistic wit, transforming a mundane item into a sharp, albeit affectionate, insult.
Examples
- My uncle tried to fix the computer by unplugging everything and plugging it back in randomly; he's as daft as a brush sometimes.
- Don't worry about her strange ideas, she's as daft as a brush but she means well.