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to not know somebody from adam
01
to fail to recognize someone as one has never met them or knows nothing about them
Idiom
Informal
Old use
What is the origin of the idiom "not know someone from Adam" and when to use it?
The idiom "not know someone from Adam" likely has biblical origins and can be traced back to the story of Adam in the Book of Genesis. In this idiom, "Adam" represents the first human being, and not knowing someone from Adam implies a complete lack of familiarity or recognition. It is used to signify that the person is entirely unknown to the speaker, emphasizing their anonymity or obscurity in a given context.
Ejemplo
In a big city like this, you pass by countless people daily, and you don't know them from Adam.
She claims to be a distant relative, but I don't know her from Adam.
I didn't know them from Adam.
If you showed me a picture of that actor without context, I wouldn't know him from Adam.