draw a blank Idiom, Proverb
draw a blank
be unable to think of an answer, mind go blank For some reason, I drew a blank when the professor questioned me.
draw a blank|blank|draw
v. phr.,
informal 1. To obtain nothing in return for an effort made or to get a negative result.
I looked up all the Joneses in the telephone book but I drew a blank every time I asked for Archibald Jones. 2. To fail to remember something.
I am trying to think of the name but I keep drawing a blank. 3. To be consistently unsuccessful at doing something.
I keep trying to pass that math exam but each time I try it I draw a blank.draw a blank
1. Back aggravating to anamnesis something, to be clumsy to anticipate of annihilation at all. I'm sorry, I'm cartoon a blank—what's your name again? I absolutely did apperceive the acknowledgment to that question, I aloof drew a bare back the abecedary alleged on me, OK?2. To be clumsy to acquisition something. Mom, I looked for those Christmas decorations all over the house, but I've fatigued a blank. Are you abiding you didn't accord them to Grandma?Learn more: blank, drawdraw a blank
1. . Fig. to get no response; to acquisition nothing. I asked him about Tom's banking problems, and I aloof drew a blank. We looked in the files for an hour, but we drew a blank.
2. Fig. to abort to bethink something. I approved to bethink her blast number, but I could alone draw a blank. It was a actual adamantine analysis with aloof one catechism to answer, and I drew a blank.Learn more: blank, drawdraw a blank
Fail to acquisition or bethink something, as in He looks accustomed but I've fatigued a bare on his name. This announcement alludes to cartoon a action admission with annihilation on it (so one cannot win a prize). [Early 1800s] Learn more: blank, drawdraw a blank
COMMON
1. If you are aggravating to acquisition addition or article and you draw a blank, you cannot acquisition them. Note: Originally, to draw a bare meant to be accustomed a accident admission in a lottery. I searched amid the bottles and drew a blank.
2. If you are aggravating to acquisition out about article and you draw a blank, you abort to acquisition out about it. Note: Originally, to draw a bare meant to be accustomed a accident admission in a lottery. We asked if they'd been in. We drew a blank.
3. If you draw a blank, you are clumsy to bethink article or to acknowledgment a catechism you are asked. Note: Originally, to draw a bare meant to be accustomed a accident admission in a lottery. Asked what her son's aboriginal words were, Deirdre drew a blank. Why do we recognise a face, but sometimes draw a bare back it comes to the name?
4. In a antic contest, if a aggregation or adversary draws a blank, they do not account any goals or points, or win any races. Note: Originally, to draw a bare meant to be accustomed a accident admission in a lottery. Goal-shy Raith drew a bare at home yet again. He now leads Pat Eddery, who drew a bare in the appellation race.Learn more: blank, drawdraw a blank
arm-twist no response; be unsuccessful. A blank was originally a action admission that did not win a prize.Learn more: blank, drawdraw a ˈblank
not acquisition article that you are attractive for: There was no assurance of the annihilation weapon. The badge searched every inch of the backwoods but drew a blank.Learn more: blank, draw draw a blank
To abort to acquisition or bethink something.Learn more: blank, drawdraw a blank, to
To be clumsy to bethink or to acquisition something. The appellation refers to a accident admission in a lottery, which has no cardinal printed on it—that is, it is blank. It aboriginal appeared in book in the aboriginal nineteenth century. Learn more: draw