"way out of a paper bag" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "Most likely from \"he couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag.\"",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "way out of a paper bag",
      "name": "head"
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English negative polarity items",
          "parents": [
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            "Terms by semantic function"
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          "source": "w"
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "My boss is so clueless, he couldn't schedule his own way out of a paper bag."
        },
        {
          "text": "Junior varsity couldn't play their way out of a paper bag in comparison."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1923, Asia, volume 23, American Asiatic Association, page 281",
          "text": "The old chap did not look as though he could push his way out of a paper bag.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1924, Harry Charles Witwer, Love and Learn, G. P. Putnam's sons, page 260",
          "text": "Personally I don’t think this egg could punch his way out of a paper bag. He’s only been workin’ in this trap two days",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Allie Peter, Saved by the Fireman, page 105",
          "text": "“You'd hate his cooking[,” he said.] “Most guys can't cook their way out of a paper bag[,” Charlotte said.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform."
      ],
      "id": "en-way_out_of_a_paper_bag-en-phrase-WsrcPn~-",
      "links": [
        [
          "minimal",
          "minimal"
        ],
        [
          "level",
          "level"
        ],
        [
          "competence",
          "competence"
        ],
        [
          "effectiveness",
          "effectiveness"
        ],
        [
          "phrase",
          "phrase"
        ],
        [
          "perform",
          "perform"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, idiomatic, formulaic) A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery"
        },
        {
          "word": "enough sense to pound sand into a rathole"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "way out of a wet paper bag"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-way out of a paper bag.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/72/En-au-way_out_of_a_paper_bag.ogg/En-au-way_out_of_a_paper_bag.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/En-au-way_out_of_a_paper_bag.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "way out of a paper bag"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Most likely from \"he couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag.\"",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "way out of a paper bag",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery"
    },
    {
      "word": "enough sense to pound sand into a rathole"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English negative polarity items",
        "English phrases",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "My boss is so clueless, he couldn't schedule his own way out of a paper bag."
        },
        {
          "text": "Junior varsity couldn't play their way out of a paper bag in comparison."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1923, Asia, volume 23, American Asiatic Association, page 281",
          "text": "The old chap did not look as though he could push his way out of a paper bag.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1924, Harry Charles Witwer, Love and Learn, G. P. Putnam's sons, page 260",
          "text": "Personally I don’t think this egg could punch his way out of a paper bag. He’s only been workin’ in this trap two days",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Allie Peter, Saved by the Fireman, page 105",
          "text": "“You'd hate his cooking[,” he said.] “Most guys can't cook their way out of a paper bag[,” Charlotte said.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "minimal",
          "minimal"
        ],
        [
          "level",
          "level"
        ],
        [
          "competence",
          "competence"
        ],
        [
          "effectiveness",
          "effectiveness"
        ],
        [
          "phrase",
          "phrase"
        ],
        [
          "perform",
          "perform"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, idiomatic, formulaic) A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-way out of a paper bag.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/72/En-au-way_out_of_a_paper_bag.ogg/En-au-way_out_of_a_paper_bag.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/En-au-way_out_of_a_paper_bag.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "way out of a wet paper bag"
    }
  ],
  "word": "way out of a paper bag"
}