EL CANUTO Y LA O

 

In Spanish, this expression expresses the idea that someone is ignorant, illiterate, or uninformed: "No saber hacer la o con un canuto." English has invented "not know shit from Shinola", "not know one's head (ass) from a hole in the ground, or not know one's ass from one's elbow.  

Tu hermano es un ignorante y no sabe hacer la o con un canuto Your brother is very ignorant and doesn’t know shit from Shinola

— “… era un genio, pero era incapaz de hacer la o con un canuto, literalmente.” Cuaderno de Materiales, nº 18, 12/2002. Esp. || “… un hombre que no sabe hacer la o con un canuto.” Miguel Delibes, La hoja roja, 1986. Esp.