# short of a sheet

idiom · Slang

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/short-of-a-sheet
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

in the street

## Examples

- He acts like he is a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
- I think he is a few sandwiches short of a picnic because he tried to fix the sink with duct tape.
- The villagers whispered that the eccentric inventor was a few sandwiches short of a picnic, given his strange habit of talking to the birds.

## Origin

Implying a situation of penury and hence the lack of a bed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.