ENGLISH
REFERENCE

out to lunch

idiom
Meaning

Clueless, inattentive, or careless.


Examples
SIMPLE

He's completely out to lunch about the new rules.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager was out to lunch during the meeting and missed all the important details.

COMPLEX

While her colleagues scrambled to meet the deadline, she wandered through the day out to lunch, oblivious to the mounting pressure around her.

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    eat someone's lunch

    To best or defeat someone thoroughly; to make short work of.

  2. 02

    free lunch

    Something obtained without any payment, obligation or effort.

  3. 03

    power lunch

    A working lunch at which bosses make business decisions or hold important discussions.

  4. 04

    three-martini lunch

    A leisurely, expensive midday meal associated with drinking, which is tax-deductible because business is discussed.

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