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Clueless
Professor David Crystal
Clueless. I’m clueless. He’s clueless. She’s clueless. I
mean, it’s literally a clue less, that is, a clue in the sense
of a piece of information or evidence used by police in
solving a crime, that’s where the word started years ago.
And then it became a rather more general, meaning any
facts about solving a problem – in phrases like, you know,
‘clues about the past’, ‘have we got any clues about the
past?’ – in archaeology exploration, for example. And then
earlier, there was a usage in idiom, you know, ‘I haven’t
got a clue’ – I’ve got no idea, I can’t think what’s
happening. So it has this kind of informal sense, the word
‘clue’, which goes back quite a long time, meaning having
no knowledge or understanding or ability.
It’s a much milder word, clueless, than stupid. Stupid is
quite strong – ‘you’re stupid’ is stronger than ‘you’re
clueless!’ Clueless is more - you’re absent minded, you’re scatty, you
could probably do it if you kept your mind on it – it’s that kind of usage,
isn’t it? A much milder concept.
Usage spread when it became the name of a 1995 film, loosely based on
Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ – it was called ‘Clueless’. It’s often intensified too –
‘I’m totally clueless!’ I heard somebody say the other day ‘I’m totally
clueless when it comes to grammar’. Well, I’m not totally clueless when it
comes to grammar, but I have to say, I am totally clueless when it comes
to cooking – I can do toast, and that’s about it!
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2007
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