marbles
Low (for mental faculty meaning); Medium (for toy meaning)Informal (mental faculty); General (toy)
Definition
Meaning
The mental faculty of sanity or common sense.
The plural form of 'marble' as small spherical toys or glass balls.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Two distinct meanings: 1) Idiomatic/informal for sanity. 2) Literal small glass/stone balls used in children's games.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The idiomatic meaning ('lose one's marbles') is common in both, but slightly more frequent in BrE. The literal game is known in both, with regional variations in rules.
Connotations
The idiom is humorous and informal in both. The literal toy may evoke childhood nostalgia.
Frequency
Literal meaning has higher frequency overall. Idiom is a fixed expression.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to lose [POSSESSIVE] marblesto play with marblesto have [POSSESSIVE] marblesVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “lose one's marbles”
- “all one's marbles”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Almost never used literally; idiom might be used informally ('He's lost his marbles over that merger').
Academic
Rare except in historical/sociological studies of children's games.
Everyday
Common for the idiom and for literal reference to the toy/game.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children played with marbles in the yard.
- I have five blue marbles in my bag.
- My grandad collects antique marbles from the 19th century.
- Don't listen to him, I think he's lost his marbles.
- After the bizarre proposal, everyone wondered if the CEO had lost his marbles.
- The cultural history of marbles as a game spans centuries and continents.
- The stress of the prolonged litigation caused him to fear he was losing his marbles.
- Her dissertation included an analysis of marbles as a medium of non-verbal communication among children.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an old man frantically searching for his lost glass marbles to represent losing his sanity.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A CONTAINER OF VALUABLE OBJECTS (marbles). LOSING SANITY IS LOSING THOSE OBJECTS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation to 'мрамор' (marble stone). For the toy/game, use 'стеклянные шарики'. For the idiom, use 'съехать с катушек', 'потерять рассудок'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'marbles' as a singular noun ('a marble' is one ball). Confusing with 'marble' as a material.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'marbles' mean in the sentence: 'She hasn't lost all her marbles yet.'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the idiom is exclusively plural: 'lose one's marbles', 'have all one's marbles'.
Yes, e.g., 'Let's play a game of marbles.'
It is informal and can be humorous or disrespectful depending on context. It's best used lightly.
Likely early 20th century, possibly from the notion of marbles as valued possessions or from the idiom 'have all one's buttons' (valuable small objects).