SENSE
ADJECTIVES
► GUMPTIOUS having common sense; also, clever, vain, self-important → 1853
► HALFPENNY SHORT OF A SHILLING, A lacking in common sense or intelligence; mentally deficient; slightly crazy → 1939
► LEAN-WITTED silly, stupid, foolish; having little sense or shrewdness → 1593
► ONE SANDWICH SHORT OF A PICNIC lacking in common sense or intelligence; mentally deficient; slightly crazy → 1985
► ONE SPARK PLUG SHORT OF AN ENGINE lacking in common sense or intelligence; mentally deficient; slightly crazy → 1996
► SEVERAL BANANAS SHORT OF A MILKSHAKE lacking in common sense or intelligence; mentally deficient; slightly crazy → 1992
► SHORT OF A SHEET OF BARK lacking in common sense or intelligence; mentally deficient; slightly crazy → 1885
► SHORT OF THE FULL QUID lacking in common sense or intelligence; mentally deficient; slightly crazy → 1960
► SIX BRICKS SHORT OF A LOAD lacking in common sense or intelligence; mentally deficient; slightly crazy → 1960
NOUNS
► BONSENSE good sense → 1681
► CAT SENSE common sense → 1963 Amer. dial.
► C.D.F. common sense (common dry fuck) → 1930 Royal Navy usage
► CHICKEN SENSE little sense → 1939 Amer. dial.
► COCUM ► COKUM ► KOCUM ► KOKUM good sense; acumen; judgement → 1848 sl.
► COMMON common sense → 1906 Brit. sl.
► COW SENSE common sense → 1942 Amer. dial.
► EESKYIE goodness, sense, decency → 1929 Sc.
► GOMSH gumption, sense → 1888 Ireland
► GRAMULTION common sense, understanding, gumption → 1825 Sc.
► GUMP common sense, mother wit, shrewdness; also, initiative, enterprise, ‘drive’ → 1920
► GUMPTION practical good sense or initiative; shrewdness; courage; enterprise → 1719 colloq., orig. Sc.
► GUMSH common sense, understanding → 1900 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► HALF-SENSE a minimum of intelligence or common sense → 1937 Amer. dial.
► HEAD-GEAR mental equipment, brains, good sense, ability → 1902 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► HORSE SENSE practical good sense and shrewdness → 1832 sl., orig. US
► MENSE decency, propriety, decorum; sense, discretion, tact; good manners, politeness → 1737 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► MOTHER WIT natural intelligence; common sense → c1440
► NOUS ► NOUSE instinct or common sense, as opposed to actual learning → 1706
► PRETENSION meaning, sense, signification → 1443 obs.
► RUMBLEGUMPTION common sense; mental smartness → 1787 Sc.
► SALTED SENSE sound common sense → 1900 Eng. dial.
► SAVEE ► SAVEY ► SAVVY good sense → 1785 sl.
► SCONCE ► SKONCE judgement, sense → M16 sl.
► SOUND import, sense, significance → 1614 obs.
► SUSS common sense → 1977 UK sl.
► VAPOUR LOCK a temporary loss of common sense or memory → 1996 US sl.
NOUNS – PERSON
► EDUCATED FOOL a person who seems to know everything; one having book knowledge, but who is lacking in common sense → 1966 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► FUNGE a person lacking intelligence or common sense; a fool → 1621 obs.
► MOROSOPH one who is ‘foolishly wise’; a philosophical or learned fool; one learned but lacking common sense → 1751
PHRASES
► AIN’T GOT SENSE ENOUGH TO CARRY GUTS TO A BEAR hasn’t the most rudimentary common sense → 1996 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► IT ALL ADDS UP it makes sense → 1930s sl.
► LIFT DOESN’T GO TO THE TOP FLOOR, THE he’s slightly crazy or lacking in common sense or intelligence → 1985
VERBS
► ADD UP to make sense; to work as expected → 1930s sl.
► HAVE A GOOD NOSE FOR to have a propensity for; to have good sense of → Aust. sl.
► HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN to be shrewd enough to look after oneself; to be common-sensical → 1848 colloq.
► HAVE EYES IN ONE’S HEAD to be able to see clearly; to be able to perceive, comprehend, or recognize something; to have good sense → 1579
► HAVE GUTS IN ONE’S BRAIN(S) to have a solid understanding; to be genuinely intelligent; to have sense → c1660 colloq.
► HAVE ONE OAR OUT OF THE WATER to be slightly crazy; to be lacking in common sense or intelligence → 1985
► KNOW ENOUGH TO COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN to be shrewd enough to look after oneself; to be common-sensical → 1848 colloq.
► KNOW ENOUGH TO LAP SALT to have common sense → 1913 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► LAP ALUM to do the most commonsensical thing → 1969 Amer. dial.
► LAP SALT to do the most commonsensical thing → 1914 Amer. dial.
► LOSE ONE’S BALLAST to lose one’s good judgement or sense → 1889 sl.
► NOT TO KNOW CATNIP to lack common sense → 1954 Amer. dial.
► TRACK to make sense; to be plausible → 1970s US sl.
► WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE to come to one’s senses → 1980s sl.
Lexicophilia 