"thick as mince" means a scottish simile meaning extremely stupid — 'thick' being the british slang for dim-witted, and 'mince' (ground meat) representing something lacking coherent form or substance. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
thick as mince
A Scottish simile meaning extremely stupid — 'thick' being the British slang for dim-witted, and 'mince' (ground meat) representing something lacking coherent form or substance.
Seen in the wild
3 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
We need to remember this is all happening because Trump is thick as mince and surrounded by a bunch of drunks who think killing brown people and explosions are cool, and that under no circumstances were they ever goin…
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BlueskyMay 2026
Sometimes they just turn out be as thick as mince, don't they.
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Firecrawl: The power of Brexit food analogies – from crisps and cake to 'thick ...Feb 2018
Photograph: Mordeccy/Getty Images/iStockphoto This article is more than **8 years old** # The power of Brexit food analogies – from crisps and cake to 'thick as mince' This article is more than 8 years old Gastro-rela…
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Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 28, 2026UK
A Scottish simile meaning extremely stupid — 'thick' being the British slang for dim-witted, and 'mince' (ground meat) representing something lacking coherent form or substance. More colorful than simply saying 'thick as two short planks' and very specifically Scottish in flavor. The insult is blunt and unsympathetic; it's not usually said with affection.
I tried explaining it three different ways and she still didn't get it — thick as mince, that one.
Origin: From 'thick' (stupid, in British slang) + 'as mince' (minced meat has no structure or form). A Scottish comparative intensifier for stupidity. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents
"thick as mince" means a scottish simile meaning extremely stupid — 'thick' being the british slang for dim-witted, and 'mince' (ground meat) representing something lacking coherent form or substance. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
For ESL learners
"thick as mince" is informal English meaning a scottish simile meaning extremely stupid — 'thick' being the british slang for dim-witted, and 'mince' (ground meat) representing something lacking coherent form or substance. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a scottish simile meaning extremely stupid — 'thick' being the british slang for dim-witted" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "thick as mince" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing.
Heard in the wild
“Photograph: Mordeccy/Getty Images/iStockphoto This article is more than **8 years old** # The power of Brexit food analogies – from crisps and cake to 'thick as mince' This article is more than 8 years old Gastro-related phrases have infused the Brexit debate in recent days.”
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Global
#2·Apr 27, 2026Global
(simile, Scotland) Very stupid.
See it in action
“We need to remember this is all happening because Trump is thick as mince and surrounded by a bunch of drunks who think killing brown people and explosions are cool, and that under no circumstances were they ever going to vote for a Black woman (as bad as she was).”
“Sometimes they just turn out be as thick as mince, don't they.”
Heard in the wild
“We need to remember this is all happening because Trump is thick as mince and surrounded by a bunch of drunks who think killing brown people and explosions are cool, and that under no circumstances were they ever going to vote for a Black woman (as bad as she was).”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Sometimes they just turn out be as thick as mince, don't they.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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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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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "thick as mince" (T)
thicc maxxingthicc modethiccnessthicc queenthicc sznthickaliciousthickiethickshakethigthighed upthingthingmy
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Related terms
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Semantically related
- thickie70%
(chiefly, UK, Irish, Commonwealth, slang) a dimwit or idiot.
- like a plasterer's radio65%
(UK, slang) Thickly covered with some substance.
- mincer63%
In British slang, a mincer is a derogatory term for an effeminate gay man — derived from 'mince' (to walk with small, affected steps, associated with stereotypically effeminate movement). In its neutral sense it refers to a kitchen appliance for grinding meat. The derogatory slang sense is offensive and homophobic in register.
- mince61%
(uncountable) Finely chopped meat; minced meat.