Swiss cheese means: By extension, any cheese which resembles Emmentaler, especially ones with holes.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Swiss cheese
(colloquial) By extension, any cheese which resembles Emmentaler, especially ones with holes.
Seen in the wild
4 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Yeah, that section of road is like riding on crumbly dried swiss cheese :)
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BlueskyMay 2026
His brain is swiss cheese and republicans just let it slide. Spineless cowards.
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BlueskyMay 2026
Reduce Finger-licking Swiss Cheese And Perfumed Dates
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BlueskyMay 2026
At what point do they hide him away? His brain is swiss cheese.
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Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
(colloquial) By extension, any cheese which resembles Emmentaler, especially ones with holes.
For parents
Swiss cheese means: By extension, any cheese which resembles Emmentaler, especially ones with holes.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
Swiss cheese means: By extension, any cheese which resembles Emmentaler, especially ones with holes.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Cluster: general
Heard in the wild
“Yeah, that section of road is like riding on crumbly dried swiss cheese :)”
— Bluesky· May 2026“His brain is swiss cheese and republicans just let it slide. Spineless cowards.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Reduce Finger-licking Swiss Cheese And Perfumed Dates”
— Bluesky· May 2026“At what point do they hide him away? His brain is swiss cheese.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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US
#2·Apr 27, 2026US
(informal) , a Swiss cheese with many holes.
"If people really knew the extent to which the Internet is Swiss cheese, they would freak out," Fancher says. As with employee crime, the best protections against attacks by outsiders are matters of common sense, say security experts.
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US
#3·Apr 27, 2026US
(figurative, colloquial) Something that is full of holes or vulnerabilities.
"If people really knew the extent to which the Internet is Swiss cheese, they would freak out," Fancher says. As with employee crime, the best protections against attacks by outsiders are matters of common sense, say security experts.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "Swiss cheese" (S)
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