Idiom 'your guess is as good as mine'

[Haihao]

Hi,

A little bird told me (sorry, just for fun) that using the idiom 'your guess is as good as mine' could be impolite. Could you clarify this for me or how could it be rude?

Thank you.

haihao

[Pamela]

Hi Haihao,
This idiom is in no way to be impolite. At least,it seems inoffensive to me. When a respondent says 'your guess is as good as mine' that means that he is not certain about something(i.e.cannot answer with confidence) and cannot add more than the person who asks him.

[Alan]

Hi,

I agree with Pamela's interpretation. It is the sort of remark said casually and perhaps with a shrug of the shoulders.

A
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[Prezbucky]

It means "I have no idea."

Or, at the very least (in severity), "I'm not quite sure."
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[Yankee]

Well, I'll be the voice of dissent here and agree with Haihao's little birdie that "Your guess is as good as mine" might sometimes be viewed as impolite. As is often the case, it would hinge on the context:

Teacher: What is the opposite of the word 'good'?
Student: Your guess is as good as mine. (impolite/fresh)

I'd say if one of the people involved in the conversation clearly has and/or is clearly expected to have the answer to the question, then "Your guess is as good as mine." may sound impolite.

[Prezbucky]

In this case, it means (because who doesn't know what the opposite -- or at least an example -- of "good" is?) "What do you think, moron? Stop asking rhetorical questions!"

hehe
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