way out of a paper bag

Examples of way out of a paper bag in a sentence

• The old chap did not look as though he could push his way out of a paper bag.1923, Asia, volume 23, American Asiatic Association, page 281:
• Personally I don’t think this egg could punch his way out of a paper bag.1924, Harry Charles Witwer, Love and Learn, G. P. Putnam's sons, page 260:
• To be fair, many people who couldn’t punctuate their way out of a paper bag are still interested in the way punctuation can alter the sense of a string of words.2003 November 6, Lynne Truss, “Introduction – The Seventh Sense”, in Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation...

Forms of way out of a paper bag

Origin of way out of a paper bag

Most likely originating as, He couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag.

Related words

• couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery
• enough sense to pound sand into a rathole
• know one's ass from a hole in the ground

Questions about way out of a paper bag

What does way out of a paper bag mean?

Way out of a paper bag means a minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform.

How do you use way out of a paper bag in a sentence?

The old chap did not look as though he could push his way out of a paper bag.

What part of speech is way out of a paper bag?

Way out of a paper bag is a phrase.