few cards shy of a full deck
Not quite there
A few cards shy of a full deck describes someone who seems mentally deficient or not quite right—the implication being that a complete mind, like a complete deck, has all its parts.
The phrase is usually dismissive or mocking: Don't listen to him, he's a few cards shy of a full deck.
Variations abound: a few fries short of a Happy Meal, a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
- one card shy of a full deckLacking full intelligence
- mad as a hatterCompletely, absurdly insane
- one brick short of a full loadLacking full intelligence
- loose screwSlight mental instability
- witlessnessLack of sense
lights are on but nobody's home · out to lunch · lost the plot · dim-witted · scatterbrained · nutty as a fruitcake · simpleminded · bats in the belfry · off one's rocker · not the sharpest tool in the shed · perceptive · logical · insightful · loopy · bonkers · idiomatic · analytical · crazy
few cards shy of a full decksharp as a tack
Extremely intelligent and alert
bright · brilliant · intelligent · smart · sharp
few cards shy of a full decksane
Mentally healthy, clearheaded
of sound mind · well-adjusted · rational · lucid · compos mentis