Francophonie· easy
avoir une case en moins
“to have a compartment missing”
Meaning
to be not quite right in the head
Explanation
A light-hearted way to call someone scatty or slightly unhinged. Not clinical, just teasing.
Example
Il porte des tongs en plein hiver, il a clairement une case en moins.
He wears flip-flops in the dead of winter, he's clearly a bit mad.
Origin
The brain isn't really built like a filing cabinet, of course, but the image stuck. It's treated as compartmentalised, each part with its own job, so the joke is that losing even one case throws the whole system off.
Source
More like this
- appeler un chat un chatto speak plainly and directly
- avoir des doigts de féeTo be exceptionally skilful with one's hands
- avoir des fourmis dans les jambesTo feel a tingling, restless urge to move
- avoir l'estomac dans les talonsto be extremely hungry
- avoir la bananeto be in a cheerful, happy mood
- avoir la chair de pouleTo get little bumps on the skin