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
Ambrosio	ahm-BRO-syo	Spanish
Tamsin	TAM-sin	English (British)
Tone (2)	-	Norwegian
Boswell	['bɔzwəl]
Torgils	-	Norwegian
Loretta	lə-RET-ə (English), lo-RET-tah (Italian)	English, Italian