einstein

Everyday

1. Albert Einstein was a famous German-born scientist who studied light, time, gravity and energy, and is known for the idea E = mc². tree →
2. (informal, often joking) An Einstein is a very clever person; said sarcastically, it means someone has done something silly. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons Einstein is named for the theory of relativity and his ideas about space and time. In everyday talk, «You don't have to be an Einstein to see that» means it is easy. Sarcastic: «Nice one, Einstein!» when someone makes an obvious mistake.

Examples

• Einstein showed that time can pass at different speeds. tree →
• His famous idea is written E = mc². tree →
• You don't need to be an Einstein to solve this puzzle. tree →
• «Nice one, Einstein,» said my brother when I locked us out. tree →
• Einstein loved playing the violin. tree →
• Our class made a poster about Einstein and light. tree →

Note

Written with a capital E as a name. In the lesson list it appears lower case. The joking «Einstein» can be teasing or rude, depending on tone. Myth: Einstein did not fail maths at school; he was good at it.

In Jewish tradition

In science lessons Einstein is named for the theory of relativity and his ideas about space and time. In everyday talk, «You don't have to be an Einstein to see that» means it is easy. Sarcastic: «Nice one, Einstein!» when someone makes an obvious mistake.

Note

Written with a capital E as a name. In the lesson list it appears lower case. The joking «Einstein» can be teasing or rude, depending on tone. Myth: Einstein did not fail maths at school; he was good at it.