Phrases & SayingsPeople and character
wouldn't know Christmas from Bourke Street
Also: doesn't know Christmas from Bourke Street
Be profoundly confused or ignorant.
In a sentence
He wouldn’t know Christmas from Bourke Street when it comes to engines.
Where it came from
A Melbourne-flavoured formula for saying someone cannot distinguish the obvious, pairing Christmas with the city’s Bourke Street.
- First recorded
- late 20th century
- Initial era
- 1900–1999
- Where used
- Especially Victoria; recognised more widely