Meaning Of Idiom ‘None the Wiser’
To be none the wiser is to be unaware of something that is happening; to not know any more after an event than before the event happened; to fail to understand something occurred; to not be fully aware of what happend. 1,2,3,4
How To Use The Idiom ‘None the Wiser’
This idiom is often used to refer to an effort to make sure that no one becomes aware of something. For example:
“I thought if I just re-wrote the paper a bit my teacher would be none the wiser.”
Sentence Examples
“The restaurant has been flagged for health violations at least three times but their customers are none the wiser.”
“I’ve been watching calculus videos for a week but I’m still none the wiser when it comes to mathematics.”
“All you have to do is to set back the odometer before you sell the car and whoever buys it will be none the wiser.”
“I had some cookies before dinner while Mom was busy cooking and she was none the wiser.”
“All of a sudden, you get a little extra money. Uncle Sam’s none the wiser.” — Fred Claus (2007)
“Two weeks ago, you took the locker key from around Jim’s neck when he was sleeping and replaced it with an identical one so jim was none the wiser.” — The Mentalist: Miss Red (2009)
“He would study the ring that he just gave you, then break the sad news that your grandma’s ring is a phony, and you’d be none the wiser.” — The Mentalist: Brown Shag Carpet (2015)
“The situation was taken care of, a cover story was created and the civilian population was none the wiser.” — Stargate SG-1: Inauguration (2004)
Origin
This idiom has been used since the early 1800s. It is one of a number of common phrases that use ‘none the’ to mean that someone doesn’t have more of a particular quality than they did before. Another idiom that uses this construction is ‘none the worse for wear.’
A number of similar expressions can be created using the phase none the more:
“He was none the more friendly to us after we let him borrow our lawnmower.”
“He quit smoking and drinking but he’s none the more healthy and even more grumpy.”
“She was none the more pretty after washing off all the dirt from the trail. Nothing could mar her beauty, it seemed.”
Idioms With ‘None’
References- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
- Brenner, Gail. Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
- Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/none-the-wiser-any-the-wiser Collins Cobuild. Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary. HarperCollins, 2012.