"Tone Deaf" Idiom Meaning, Origin & History | Superduper English Idioms
Channel: Superduper English Idioms
Date: 24/07/2021

0:00 - How to Say, “Tone deaf.”
0:35 - Examples of “Tone deaf.”
1:27 - Meaning of “Tone deaf.”
1:50 - Origin of “Tone deaf.”
6:01 - More Examples of “Tone deaf.”
6:59 - Conclusion

“Tone deaf.”

If someone says that you’re “tone deaf”, it means that you’re perhaps insensitive, unsympathetic, thoughtless, or lack perception on a particular matter.

Calling someone “tone deaf” is very common in Canadian, American, British and Australian English, though is not so common in other English dialects.

“That billionaire is perhaps tone deaf. He spends a billion dollars on a private space program while many of his own employees don’t even earn enough to live on,” several people might be discussing on a show.

Maybe you have a friend that just doesn’t get a hint, “He talks and talks nonstop, no matter how many hints I give him! He’s so tone deaf!”

“Don’t be tone deaf! If you’re going to volunteer at the food bank, you shouldn’t wear designer clothes there,” your friend might be advising you.

As you can see, if someone is “tone deaf”, it means that in regards to a certain situation, they lack sensitivity, understanding, empathy; and might be doing or saying something that leads others to call them tone deaf.

The idiom, “tone deaf”, originates with the perceptual problem known as “amusia” - people with amusia don’t hear differences in pitch and can’t follow the simplest tunes.

It is unclear exactly when “tone deaf” came to describe a person that was unempathetic or inconsiderate, but it was about 1917 that tone deaf overtook amusia in written works…

… indicating that people with amusia came to be called tone deaf more frequently, thus perhaps leading to its adoption as an idiom to describe insensitive, uncharitable words or actions.

Many people who are bad singers attribute their lack of talent to “tone deafness”, when in fact they have no problem distinguishing between heard tones and definitely do not suffer from amusia.

Someone with amusia literally cannot hear music, because that would require the ability of our brains to identify differences in musical pitch.

It is estimated that only about 4% of the population suffers from amusia - they hear what sounds like clanging pots and pans, while the rest of us hear beautiful music.

If you’re a horrible, horrendous, horrific singer, but know “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” when you hear it; you are not tone deaf, you need singing lessons!

There are, of course, a few conditions that cause people to be “tone deaf” in the idiomatic sense; such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Asperger’s.

Of the various traits of people with ASD, the two most well-known are their lack of social skills and their ability to concentrate intensely on something that interests them.

You may thus think one of your friends is uncaring, unempathetic, tone deaf, when in fact he or she has ASD.

Many incredibly successful people have been diagnosed with Asperger’s, which is under the umbrella of ASD, but unlike other ASDs, does not feature impaired intelligence or language skills.

Thus, someone with Asperger’s often rises to the top of their chosen field due to their high intelligence and ability to concentrate intently…

… while at the same time having social skills that allow them to be charming some of the time, but often tone deaf when you least expect it.

Some famous people with Asperger’s include; Dr. Temple Grandin, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Andy Warhol, Lewis Carroll, Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

“He can be pretty tone deaf at times - he has Asperger’s, after all - but he’s a sweet guy most of the time,” your colleague might be telling you after the lead scientist said something inappropriate.

Perhaps you’re choosing a restaurant for your anniversary celebration and your husband suggests a steakhouse, “Don’t be so tone deaf! A lot of our friends are vegan, so we’ll choose a place that has vegan options.”

“The presidential candidate has been accused of tone deafness after she declined an invitation from a local charity fighting poverty,” you might hear during a news report.

So, the next time you encounter someone that seems to lack empathy, appreciation, insight, understanding of a situation or context, you can call them, “tone deaf”.

#superduperenglishidioms #englishidioms #idioms #proverbs

References: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/177444/whats-the-metaphorical-meaning-of-tone-deaf

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823214755.htm

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-tone-deafness-2016-6

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn_9f5x0f1Q