scientist

I'm a (something), not a (something else)

Used to emphasize one's status as a certain type of person to the exclusion of some other type. Modeled on the catch phrase of Dr. McCoy in the television series Star Trek, "I'm a doctor, not a (something)." A: "What do you think would be the best way to market our new app?" B: "Hey, don't ask me—I'm a programmer, not a salesperson." A: "Do you think you can repair the car?" B: "Lady, I'm a mechanic, not a miracle worker. This thing is totaled."
See also: not

it doesn't take a rocket scientist (to do something)

One doesn't have to be particularly intelligent to be able to do or understand something. I doesn't take a rocket scientist to learn how to change the oil in your car. How has he not learned how to check his email yet? It doesn't take a rocket scientist.
See also: rocket, scientist, take

you don't have to be a rocket scientist (to do something)

You don't have to be particularly intelligent to be able to do or understand something. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to learn how to change the oil in your car. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that you have to unplug electrical equipment before you try to fix it.
See also: have, rocket, scientist
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

you don’t have to be a ˈrocket scientist (to do something)

,

it doesn’t take a ˈrocket scientist (to do something)

used to emphasize that something is easy to understand: Of course this model sells more than the others — it’s the cheapest! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work that one out.
See also: have, rocket, scientist
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

rocket scientist, you don't have to be a

This problem or idea is not that difficult to understand. This hyperbolic colloquialism dates from the mid-twentieth century, as does its synonym, you don’t have to be a brain surgeon. Clearly they imply that these professions require unusual intellectual acumen. Reporting on an economic forum, the Boston Globe quoted former President Bill Clinton, “You want to save 4 million lives? Give them the medicine. It’s not rocket science” (Jan. 28, 2005). Also, “And then he got murdered. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure there’s a lot more to it than I thought” (David Baldacci, Hour Gam, 2004). See also no-brainer.
See also: have, rocket
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • I'm a (something), not a (something else)
  • Jim
  • strike (one) as (something)
  • strike as
  • take for
  • type out
  • type up
  • buggy
  • buggy whip
  • scratch and find
References in periodicals archive
The scientist community congratulated the Chairman for this highly valuable achievement, which will not only be a source of inspiration for PARC young scientist in particular but also for scientist working in National Agricultural Research System of Pakistan in general.
PARC chairman placed at top of list of PSP for 2017
The genetic codes will also help scientists pinpoint once-unrecognized species--for instance, members of a group of elephants in Africa may look identical to each other.
Frozen in time: a museum biologist keeps animal tissues frozen for years
Almost immediately after landing, the scientists found dozens of new species, as well as species that had been considered "missing." They were surprised to see an orange-faced bird with strange wattles.
Paradise found: scientists discover new frogs and butterflies--even a tree kangaroo--in Asia's most isolated rain forests
"I work with ship designers in order to make ship systems easier to use and better for the sailor," commented one recent participant in the Scientist to Sea program, "so stepping into their shoes for a while has improved my effectiveness as an engineer exponentially." Another scientist commented on the value of actually seeing equipment in situ, saying, "Now when I go back to work, I'll be able to recall the exact compartment where the equipment is located on the ship as opposed to just trying to imagine it."
The NAVSEA Scientist to Sea experience
* An entomologist is a scientist who studies insects.
What kind of scientist are you?
Having personally benefited from direct experience in ecological science alongside practicing scientists, teachers are better situated to create authentic science experiences for their students.
Mutual benefits of teacher/scientist partnerships
No man is an island; what occurs between our politicians and our nations will also affect the discussions between our scientists and our scholars of religion.
The state of the international religion-science discussion today: "science and the spiritual quest": a model for the renewal of the religion-science discourse
He was fascinated by IBM's "optimization" work, in which scientists develop different business models and tweak them to make them most effective.
Get a piece of IBM's mind. (Business)
Increasingly, those scientists who study asteroid hazards say that a subtler, quieter, slower approach might be called for.
Avoiding asteroid Armageddon: How do you stop an asteroid from hitting Earth? Hollywood envisions nuclear weapons, but scientists favor a gentler approach. (science times)
The animal model enables a scientist to understand what is happening at a level of detail that could not be reached in humans.
Science and Self-doubt
The student intermediary has the task of determining what can be maneuvered in the chemical world of one scientist and how it relates to the symbols in the other scientist's physical world.
Information work at the boundaries of science: linking library services to research practices
Werner Kuhn (1899-1963), Swiss teacher and scientist, who among many other achievements in physical chemistry, first applied statistical considerations to the properties of macromolecules, and successfully accounted in this way for the elasticity and stress-induced double refraction of rubberlike materials.
IRSHF honors those who have left their mark on the industry
Besides sending research articles to two or three anonymous reviewers, the journal was posting some papers on a Web site where any interested scientist could voice his or her opinions about the research, as long as the commenters revealed their identities.
Peer review under the microscope: one journal's experiment aims to change science vetting
He's the lead scientist with the Stardust project and a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Capturing the stuff of space
"The ones that remain are shrinking," says Dan Fagre (FAYgree), a scientist with the U.S.
Global warming: many scientists agree that earth's climate has warmed in recent years. But not all of them think it is a cause for concern