paper bag job

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A very ugly person.

Register: derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

While she was not exactly a paper bag job, she was no answer to a young man's prayer, either. Still, I found by concentrating on her bathing costume, she improved an awful lot.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “paper bag job” mean?

A very ugly person.

Is “paper bag job” formal or informal?

paper bag job is generally derogatory, slang.