Also: Have a mind as sharp as a steel trap
Meaning of Idiom ‘Have a Mind Like a Steel Trap’
To have a mind like a steel trap is to be able to understand things very quickly; to be able to think very quickly; to be very clearminded and intelligent. 1,2,3
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Examples Of Use
“Sure, Arthur is old but he has a mind like a steel trap.”
“I can’t believe you remember that,” said Ted’s mother. “You were only four years old.” “A mind like a steel trap!” replied Ted.
“To do this job require constant thought and the ability to juggle several tasks at once. You need a mind like a steel trap.”
Origin
Used since at least the early 1900s.
This idiom relates the sharp jaws of an animal trap snapping shut to a quick and agile mind. 4
More Idioms Starting with H
More Have Idioms
- Have Something Out
- Have It In For Someone
- Have a Bone To Pick
- Have It Out With Someone
- If I Had My Druthers
More Mind Idioms
More Steel Idioms
More Thought/Thinking Related Idioms
More Trap Idioms
References- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
- Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.
- Spears, Richard A. McGraw-Hill’s American Idioms Dictionary. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2008.
- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.