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born in a barn. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
born in a barn, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
born in a barn in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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born in a barn, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Adjective
born in a barn (not comparable)
- (idiomatic) In a past tense: criticizing the person to whom the phrase is directed for inappropriately, and usually neglectingly, leaving an exterior door or window open, considered ill-mannered.
2006 October 20, Heather Murphy, “The More the Merrier?”, in Washington Post, retrieved 15 September 2008:Neither bothered to lock or shut the house's front or back doors. "It was like they had been born in a barn," she says.
- (idiomatic) In a past tense: criticizing the person to whom the phrase is directed as lacking a sense of etiquette or being ill-mannered.
1971, Joyce Carol Oates, Wonderland: A Novel, Vanguard Press, page 76:His aunt said angrily: "Fritz, were you born in a barn? Don't you have any manners?"
2002 June 19, Ruth Ann Baker, “Even wolves behave in the pack”, in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, retrieved 15 September 2008, page N4:Phone at a symphony concert? I'd ask if these people were born in a barn, but that would disrespect the animals.
Usage notes
- Usually used in a rhetorical question directed toward a person who leaves a door open, or who displays rudeness or ignorance: Were you born in a barn?
Synonyms