How do you say “Not playing with a full deck” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is ne pas avoir la lumière à tous les étages, which literally means “not to have the lights on on every floor”. English speakers use not playing with a full deck to mean not thinking sensibly or clearly, said as an insult. A mocking French idiom for foolish or irrational behaviour. Like the English, it can be offensive. Register: informal, insulting. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
ne pas avoir la lumière à tous les étages
/nə pa avwaʁ la lymjɛʁ a tu lez etaʒ/
- Literal meaning
- “not to have the lights on on every floor”
- Register
- informal, insulting
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
French imagines a building with some floors left dark. It makes a personal insult out of someone’s apparent lack of sense.
The phrase belongs in informal speech and can be unkind even when intended as a joke. It should not be treated as a factual statement about mental health.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
He wants to drive through the flood; he is not playing with a full deck.
French
Il veut traverser la route inondée en voiture ; il n'a pas la lumière à tous les étages.
English
She said I was not playing with a full deck when I suggested camping in January.
French
Elle a dit que je n'avais pas la lumière à tous les étages quand j'ai proposé de camper en janvier.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01