# soup sandwich

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/soup-sandwich
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Someone or something that is disorganized, incompetent, fundamentally flawed or unfinished.

## Examples

- This project is a total soup sandwich.
- The new office software is a complete soup sandwich, and nobody knows how to use it.
- The entire logistics operation became a soup sandwich after the manager resigned without leaving any instructions for the team.

## Origin

An expression of military origin, soup sandwich evokes the image of soup being poured over bread. The term relies upon the inherent structural failure of such an arrangement to denote something poorly executed or otherwise lacking in basic competence.

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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.