a few sandwiches short of a picnic
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: few sandwiches short of a picnic
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Lacking intelligence.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Imported from Wikipedia “English-language idioms” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review.
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Lacking in intelligence or common sense
Literally: a person without enough food for a picnic
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “a few sandwiches short of a picnic” mean?
Lacking intelligence.
Is “a few sandwiches short of a picnic” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.