can't punch one's way out of a paper bag

Be inept, as in Ask him to program the VCR? He can't punch his way out of a paper bag. This hyperbolic term for extreme ineptitude originally was an expression of contempt for a weak or cowardly boxer. [Slang; c. 1910]

See also: bag, of, out, paper, punch, way

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Hooda	-	Arabic
Therese	te-RE-zə (German), te-RES (Swedish), tə-REES (English)	German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
Zack	[zæk]
Cadeyrn	-	Ancient Celtic
Christophorus	-	Late Roman
Clarissa	[klə'risə]