rocket science

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Noun

rocket science (uncountable)

1. (literal) The science or study of rockets and their design.

   Coordinate terms: astrodynamics, astronautics

2. (idiomatic, hyperbolic, chiefly in the negative) Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

   Synonym: brain surgery

   It's not rocket science. Just screw in the bulb and flip the switch.

   It's not rocket science. You just need to screw this to that!

   • 2007 January 19, Thomas L. Friedman, “A Warning From the Garden”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     This isn’t rocket science. Government standards matter. They drive innovation and efficiency.

   • 2024 May 29, Philip Haigh, “The digital revolution and the switch to in-cab signalling”, in RAIL, number 1010, page 29:

     Akers claims that ETCS signalling renewals are roughly 50% of the cost of conventional renewals. If nothing else, this is an important reason for NR to be keen to switch. "There's no rocket science or magic in that, there's just physically less to deliver," he says. "There are no trackside signals. Yes, you have balises and marker boards, and you still have train detection, but by and large there is simply less to deliver.

Synonyms

• (something complex and confusing): brain surgery

Derived terms

• rocket surgery

 

Translations

anything overly complex (idiomatic)

• Afrikaans: vuurpylwetenskap
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 高深的事 (gāoshēn de shì)

• Czech: žádná věda f
• Danish: raketvidenskab c
• Dutch: hogere wiskunde f
• Finnish: rakettitiede (fi)
• German: Raketenwissenschaft f, Hexenwerk (de) n
• Hungarian: atomfizika (hu)
• Polish: czarna magia (pl) f
• Portuguese: bicho de sete cabeças (pt)
• Russian: бино́м Ньюто́на m (binóm Nʹjutóna) (Newton binomial)
• Spanish: física cuántica
• Swedish: raketforskning (sv)

See also

• rocket scientist