a few sandwiches short of a picnic
1
9.9
- idiom
- Offensive
:
no tener dos dedos de frente (informal, ofensivo)
- Did anyone ever tell you that you're a few sandwiches short of a picnic?
Examples
-
After that careless mistake, it seemed like she was a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
-
He's a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
-
Some people think he's a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but he actually has great ideas.
Synonyms
115
6.0
A person who is seen as stupid or makes simple mistakes
36
7.9
A person who acts silly and not very smart
3
9.3
A person who is not very smart
3
8.4
A rude word for someone who is not smart
2
8.7
A person who is not very smart
1
2.7
A person who is not intelligent and often makes poor choices
1
9.9
A person who is not very intelligent
1
9.9
A person who is not very quick to understand things
1
9.9
A person who is not very smart
1
9.9
A person who is silly and not very clever
1
9.9
A person who behaves in a foolish way
Not very quick to understand things
Very stupid and not able to think clearly
A joking insult for someone who feels very foolish
Not very sensible or aware of simple things
A person who is not very smart
A person who behaves in a silly way
Antonyms
How Sensible
201
2.7
- Offensive
1
9.9
- Offensive
5
9.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
a + few + sandwiches + short + of + a + picnic
The literal words convey the idea of something being 'short' or lacking (a few sandwiches missing from a picnic), so the general notion of incompleteness is derivable from the constituents. However, the leap from that literal image to the conventional, humorous meaning 'not very intelligent or sensible' is an idiomatic, culturally specific metaphor that is not fully predictable for learners, so they may only partially infer the intended insult.
Etymology
A few sandwiches short of a picnic comes from a joking picture: imagine a picnic with some sandwiches missing, so the event feels odd or incomplete. That's why the phrase describes someone who is 'not very intelligent or sensible'.