Etymology Journal ยท N
Not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer
Meaning
- A polite but insulting way to say that someone is not very bright. It implies they are dull, just like a butter knife.
Witty, judgmental
Used in a sentence
- He tried to start the lawnmower without gas, he is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.
- I like him, but he is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.
- The instructions were simple, but my coworker is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.
The backstory
This is a common variation of the sharper than a tack or sharp as a needle idioms. It frames intelligence as sharpness and suggests that not everyone is cutting edge.
Heard in
Nationwide
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