Daft as a brush

Posted by Bruce Kahl on August 25, 2000

In Reply to: Daft as a brush (what does it mean) posted by Paul.Dodgson on August 25, 2000

: Daft as a brush (what does it mean)

If you are daft as a brush then you are a bit slow--one brick short of a load.

Main Entry: daft
Pronunciation: 'daft also 'däft
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English dafte gentle, stupid; akin to Old English gedæfte mild, gentle, Middle English defte deft, Old Church Slavonic podobati to be fitting
Date: 14th century

I found an explanation which I think is a maybe---the Victorian chimney sweep!
It seems that children were first used as sweeps since the skilled child was small and could easily work his way vertically through the confined space, clearing blockages and removing the build up of soot by hand.
While in training the apprentice was sometimes dropped head first down the chimney which caused severe cerebral damage. Hence the phrase?

See the meaning and origin of as daft as a brush.