- English translation
He can't tell a scornful 'pfft' from a word of praise to God.
- Literal wording
He doesn't know 'tozz' from 'subhan Allah' (Glory be to God).
- Meaning and lesson
The saying mocks a person so foolish and uninformed that they cannot separate 'tozz', a rude, scornful interjection for something worthless, from 'subhan Allah', a devout phrase of praise to God. If someone cannot tell those two extremes apart, the implication is that they lack even the most basic judgment.
In practice it works as a sweeping dismissal of someone's understanding. The speaker is not pointing to a single mistake but declaring the person generally ignorant and slow, unable to grasp obvious differences between worthless chatter and serious, meaningful speech.
- When it is used
Said about someone, usually behind their back or in exasperation, to brand them as hopelessly dim. It is a blunt, insulting colloquial put-down for informal talk among peers; addressed directly it would offend, and pairing a crude dismissal with pious praise may strike some listeners as irreverent.
- Register
- Colloquial; disparaging
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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