can't hear (oneself) think
Cannot concentrate on anything due to overwhelming noise. Can you turn down that blaring music? I can't hear myself think! There's so much construction going on during the day that you can't even hear yourself think over the chorus of jackhammers. I can hardly hear myself think with all that racket going on outside! I guess this is just life when your office building is next to a preschool.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
hear oneself think, can't
Be unable to concentrate because there is too much noise. For example, There was so much noise from the jackhammers we couldn't hear ourselves think. [Early 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
can't hear yourself think
INFORMALCOMMON If you say that you can't hear yourself think, you are complaining because there is a lot of noise that is disturbing you. For God's sake shut up. I can't hear myself think! If you're sitting in the front yard, you can't hear yourself think because the traffic is getting very, very bad.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
can’t hear yourself ˈthink
(informal) there is so much noise around you that you cannot think clearly: Can you turn the volume down? I can’t hear myself think in here.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017