NOT ROCKET SCIENCE Idiom – Meaning in a Sentence

The Meaning of the Idiom: NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

Here is a transcript of the video: “The Meaning of NOT ROCKET SCIENCE”

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The meaning of:
NOT ROCKET SCIENCE
or alternatively
NOT BRAIN SURGERY (used less frequently)

As rocket science and brain surgery require considerable intelligence and skill, to say something is not rocket science or brain surgery means that something is not complicated and therefore easy to do or understand.

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NOT ROCKET SCIENCE or NOT BRAIN SURGERY

Note: These phrases are used in informal English, often in a humorous way, using irony to indicate that something is very simple.
They can also be used in a harsh, cutting way to embarrass someone.

Let’s see some typical situations where this idiom can be used with different intensities . . .

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In the picture we see an egg boiling in a saucepan.

Sentence example: The mother told her teenage son: “Let me show you how to boil an egg. I’m sure you can do it. It’s not rocket science.”

Here the tone is soft, with the mother encouraging her son to perform the task.

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The picture shows two friends smiling and laughing. One is holding a mobile phone.

Sentence example: When his friend started to use his phone to do a simple calculation, he said: “Come on John, can’t you do that in your head? It’s hardly rocket science!”

Here the tone is more teasing, in a humorous way.

Let’s look at another example with a different intensity.

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The picture shows a man standing beside a vehicle with a flat tyre.

The sentence reads: When he called his boss to ask him to send someone to help him change a flat tyre, his boss angrily responded: “You want me to interrupt someone’s work for this? Can’t you do it yourself? I mean, changing a flat tyre is not exactly rocket science is it!”

Here the tone is cutting and harsh. The boss is using sarcasm to express his irritation which likely embarrasses his employee.

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Did you notice the collocations that can be used from these examples?

it’s not rocket science

it’s hardly rocket science
The word ‘hardly’ is added here for emphasis. In other words, it’s absolutely NOT rocket science.

it’s not exactly rocket science
Again, ‘not exactly’ adds emphasis by using understatement in a form of sarcasm.

Note: or substitute ‘brain surgery’ if you prefer

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So in summary, if you want to indicate that something is simple and easy to do, you can say “it’s not rocket science” or “it’s not brain surgery”.

However, use it with caution. Depending on the context and your tone of voice, you can use the expression in these ways:

to encourage someone to do a simple task, perhaps kindly teasing them in a humorous way

say it in a slightly irritated, impatient way, which can make someone look small or foolish, embarrassing them.

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Image Credits

Slide 4 – painting
Royalty Free
Thanks to bstad at Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/users/bstad-3630924/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2300757

Slide 5 – building collapse
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Morguefile courtesy of RaspberryLime
https://morguefile.com/p/1086644

Regarding the use of illustrations and photographs used in this video:

Royalty Free
The image may be used for almost any business, personal, educational or charitable purpose as long as a credit is published to the creator of the image.

If you are interested in the meaning of the idiom, NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, you may like this page also:
The Meaning of TO CUT CORNERS in a Sentence