Your Guess Is as Good as Mine
“Your guess is as good as mine” - I don’t know the answer any more than you do. This American term first appeared in print in 1939, in Irene Baird’s Waste Heritage, but it may have originated a decade or more earlier.
Related and Similar Terms
- In the same boat 🛶: Sharing the same status or predicament.
- Blind leading the blind 😎: Someone who knows nothing is getting advice and instructions from someone who also has no clue.
- Shot in the dark 🎯: A wild guess, without much hope of success.
- Throw up one’s hands ✋: To give up trying.
- Flying by the seat of one’s pants 🛩️: Doing something without planning, improvising as one goes along.
- Stab in the dark 🔪: Another way of saying a wild guess.
Proverbs and Expressions
- “Guesswork is half of knowledge.” - Persian Proverb
- “When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” - Margaret Drabble
- “The man who asks questions is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” - Confucius
Recommended Literature, Books, and Movies
- Literature: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams – Ever felt lost? You’ll feel right at home.
- Books: The Origin of the Phrase “Your Guess is as Good as Mine” and Other Mysteries by D.T. Clueless
- Songs: “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield – An anthem for embracing the unknown.
- Movies: Lost in Translation directed by Sofia Coppola – Sometimes life is just figuring things out as you go.
Quizzes
### Which of these signifies mutual cluelessness?
- [x] Your guess is as good as mine
- [ ] Saving daylight
- [ ] Rolling thunder
- [ ] Flying fish
> **Explanation:** "Your guess is as good as mine" means neither person knows the answer, perfectly encapsulating shared uncertainty.
### Which phrase means to give up out of frustration?
- [ ] Eating the cake
- [x] Throw up one's hands
- [ ] Writing with a hammer
- [ ] Dancing with wolves
> **Explanation:** "Throw up one's hands" is the recognized expression for surrendering out of frustration.
### True or False: 'Flying by the seat of one's pants' means planning everything in advance
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** False indeed! It means doing something without a clear plan and improvising as one goes along.
Inspirational Farewell
Remember, uncertainty can be the birthplace of creativity and adventure. Embrace the unknown, for life’s most exciting journeys are often those that begin with, “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Until next time, happy guessing!
— W. Guesstimates
