Dictionary definition of “rocket surgery”

rocket surgery

n. a task requiring intelligence or higher education; a difficult undertaking. Subjects: English

Editorial Note: Often used jocularly in negative constructions similar to “It’s not rocket surgery.” Etymological Note: A blend of rocket science and brain surgery.

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Citations: 1994 [Dee Dee Hawkins] Usenet: alt.prose (Jan. 29) “Twins”: He usually mutes or ignores the commercials, but one day he finds himself drawn in, watching people do the things he’d always imagined he would do: trapeze artistry, rocket surgery, paleo-indian lifestyles. 1994 Francis X. Clines New York Times (Aug. 7) “On Sunday In Boot Camp, Rough Drafts Get Fit to Film” p. 35: “In a way, movie making is rocket surgery,” Mr. Gordon says of the Hollywood melange that beguiles him so. “It’s a very quirky art form that intersects with business.” 2005 Jim Sullinger @ Topeka, Kan. Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Kan.-Mo.) (July 3) “Legislative Lingo”: One legislator, mixing metaphors in referring to a simple concept, called it “rocket surgery.”

Posted 12 Jul 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

I use this all the time and it brings me no small amount of joy.

by Keith 11 Nov 06, 0957 GMT

Some time between 1994 and 2005, Steve Krug used the phrase in his great book “Don’t Make Me Think”, which is where I picked it up.

by ralph 24 Jan 07, 0304 GMT

This was used by Mike Myers in the hockey movie Mystery, Alaska.

by Craig 15 Apr 07, 0246 GMT

I started says this 3 years ago when talking about Customer Service people and how they can screw even the most simple task.. Not knowing it was use before…. Who knew?

by Meister 15 Nov 07, 0752 GMT

I started saying this some years back, and, thinking I might somehow make my billions writing comedy, I did a web search for it to see if anyone had used it. If I recall, nothing came up. I’m sure I wasn’t quite the maverick in coming up with the term and it just hadn’t spread to the web in those days, but I still half-joking swear to my web design students, when I make them read Steve Krug’s book, that I at least comorbidly came up with the phrase “it’s not rocket surgery” around 1999-2002. :)

by Rob 16 Apr 08, 0517 GMT

YUCK, reminds me of guesstimate, another one I detest. It’s rocket science or brain surgery. Or estimate! Just makes you look dumb or pretentious, neither of which are flattering.

by Amy Olson 10 Sep 08, 0844 GMT

It’s also an AMAZING song by the Matrin Brothers.

Find it on YouTube

by Jay-Low 01 Oct 08, 0620 GMT