In the dark
Meaning
To be kept uninformed or unaware about a situation or details.
Origin
This phrase brilliantly leverages the universal human experience of actual physical darkness to convey a state of mental ignorance or unawareness. Imagine stumbling through a pitch-black room; you are literally unable to see, understand, or navigate your surroundings. This potent metaphor for being uninformed began to gain idiomatic traction in the English language around the 17th century, becoming a common and vivid way to describe being excluded from vital information, much like being plunged into a literal absence of light prevents one from seeing the truth.
Examples
- The project manager left us in the dark about the budget cuts until it was too late to make any adjustments.
- I feel completely in the dark about my sister's new job; she hasn't told me anything specific.