leading

case of the blind leading the blind

Fig. a situation where people who don't know how to do something try to teach other people. Tom doesn't know anything about cars, but he's trying to teach Sally how to change the oil. It's a case of the blind leading the blind. When I tried to show Mary how to use a computer, it was a case of the blind leading the blind.

See also: blind, case

leading question

a question that suggests the kind of answer that the person who asks it wants to hear. The mayor was angered by the reporter's leading questions. "Don't you think that the police are failing to stop crime?" is an example of a leading question.

See also: question

on the bleeding edge and on the leading edge

having the most advanced technology; knowing about the most advanced technology. (Alludes to the cutting edge of a sword.) This gadget is brand new. It's really on the bleeding edge. Tom is on the leading edge when it comes to optical storage technology.

See also: bleeding, edge

The blind leading the blind

Prov. Someone who is not capable of dealing with a situation is guiding someone else who is not capable of dealing with it. (See also .) Jill: Mike is helping me fill out my tax forms this year. Jane: Is he a tax expert? Jill: He read a book about income tax once. Jane: Sounds to me like the blind leading the blind. Nathan offered to be my guide through Philadelphia, but since he'd never been there before either, it was a case of the blind leading the blind.

See also: blind

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a leading light

an important and respected person in a group or organization (often + in ) A leading light in the art and ballet world, he was a close friend of Princess Diana. (often + of ) Jeffries, at 23 a leading light of the campaign, was the first to speak.

See also: light

the blind leading the blind

a situation where someone is trying to show someone else how to do something which they do not know how to do themselves I tried to explain how the software works, but it was a case of the blind leading the blind, really.

See fly blind, turn a blind eye, swear blind

See also: blind