numb adj.
1. (US, also numbs) blind drunk; occas. intoxicated by drugs.
 | in Wisconsin Mag. of Hist. 62 240: I’m not saying that the stuff is non-intoxicating, for one can get ‘numb’ on it [HDAS]. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Man with the Golden Arm 46: The customers come here to get numb off Schlitz. | |
| Scrambled Yeggs 57: ‘What are you trying to do, woman?’ I asked her, ‘get me drunk?’ ‘No, silly. I don’t know; I just feel like getting a little stupid. Numb.’. | |
| Triggerfish Twist (2002) 87: ‘How do you feel?’ asked Bernie. Coleman looked slowly around the room. ‘[...] numb, paralyzed, wired, [...].’. |
2. (US, also numbass, numbfuck) stupid.
| , | | DAS. |
| On the Yard (2002) 160: He’s supposed to be a schooled hustler, down with all games, so how come he lets a bunch of numb-brained fuzz catch him time after time? | |
| Third Ear n.p.: numb adj. dumb; stupid. | |
| Maine Lingo 192: Numb—A mild version of dumb, in the sense of somewhat stupid. [...] Physical numbness, transferred to intelligence, is suggested by ‘as numb as a pounded thumb.’ A Mainer might call somebody dumb behind his back, but to his face he’d use numb: ‘You seem a little numb about learnin’ how to do that!’ . | |
| Stand (1990) 1145: He threw Raphael, Donatello, and their numbfuck buddies across the store. | |
| It (1987) 112: But the numb cunt he was married to was still on the phone. | |
| Dreamcatcher 116: Jumping up and down now like one of those numbass bootscooters on the The Nashville Network, feeling like a jerk. |
SE in slang uses
In derivatives
(US) a fool, a simpleton.
| Black Cat Club 90: ‘Chop down de tree! [...] you nummies!’ yells Uncle Ephum. | |
| ‘Essence, Ltd’ Fringewood News SciFi #3.10 🌐 ‘So it does. But let me warn you, the potions that I’m selling are not toys.’ ‘I realize that. I’m not a numby or a dummy.’. |
In compounds
(US) a fool.
| Journal 2 Sept. in New Eng. Qly (1930) 3 314: We are about sending her to school, but Mr Burr is expecting that she will prove a numbhead . | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Petition Against Tractorising Trumpery 90: To rattle like a roll of vellum, And occiput of every numhead To sound as loud as kettle-drum head. | |
| Sam Sly 19 May 3/2: We advise that numhead of a fellow, R. R., Osborne-street, not to sell ha’porth’s of treacle on a Sunday afternoon. | |
| Gallipolis Jrnl (OH) 16 Dec. 1/8: Don’t you know any thing, you numb-head you? | |
| Iola Register (KS) 23 Apr. 8/5: He told the spinster that she was a gone-by old numb-head. | |
| Bourbon News (Millersburg, KY) 30 May 4/3: While the lean and scraggy ones [i.e. girls] were the choice, the numbheads were chasing after them. | |
| Burlington Wkly Free Press (VT) 4 Aug. 6/4: The silly law which the numheads in the Legislature succeeded in putting on the statute books. | |
| in LANE. | |
| in DARE. | |
| Maine Lingo 192: Numb—A mild version of dumb, in the sense of somewhat stupid. A numb-head doesn’t know enough to come in out of the rain. | |
| Dict. Popular Sl. | |
| Album Zone 🌐 We don’t need some numbhead who knows damn all about musical history telling us what to play, or say. |
(US) stupid.
| Widow Bedott Papers (1863) 97–8: The old coot was so awful numbheaded I couldn’t beat anythin’ into him. |
(US) stupidity.
| Electra 293: One of those spells of numbheadedness which came upon him often of late. |
(Aus.) foolish, stupid.
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | How to Shoot Friends 120: I gave Anita a pile of mail written to me by Renée to support my numbnut idea that she was a friend. | |
| Chopper 4 43: He actually won the fight, punching ten shades of shit of the numbnut dago. |
1. (US) an idiot, a fool; usu. as a term of address.
| in Current Sl. IV:3-4 (1970). | |
| On High Steel 92: Change the subject, numbnuts. | |
| Patriot Game (1985) 199: Yeah, numb-nuts? | |
| (con. c.1970) Phantom Blooper 18: What is your major malfunction, numbnuts? How long will it take me to forget your name? | |
| Skinny Dip 195: Stranahan waved. ‘Over here, numbnuts!’. | |
| Drawing Dead [ebook] Watch it numb nuts . . . you almost took my fucking head off. | |
| Good Girl Stripped Bare 75: ‘The audience? Full of numbnuts. They’re the ones who reckon blondes are dummies’. | |
| Cherry 153: ‘Numbnuts over there green-lighted an airstrike on Hueso’s squad. Almost got them all killed’. | |
| (con. 1991-94) City of Margins 198: Donnie’s not scared of Big Time Tommy and his numbnuts crew. |
2. in attrib. use of sense 1.
| Eddie’s World 201: You and that numb-nuts cousin of yours. |
foolish, stupid.
| letter 12 Dec. in Proud Highway (1997) 34: I was thrown out of the club for calling the night manager a crude, numbwit ass. |