How do you say “Not playing with a full deck” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is faltarle un tornillo a alguien, which literally means “for someone to be missing a screw”. English speakers use not playing with a full deck to mean not thinking sensibly or clearly, said as an insult. An insulting or teasing expression for behaving irrationally. It is closer to “have a screw loose” than to a judgement about intelligence alone. Register: informal, insulting. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
faltarle un tornillo a alguien
/falˈtaɾle un toɾˈniʝo a ˈalɣjen/
- Literal meaning
- “for someone to be missing a screw”
- Register
- informal, insulting
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
84 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
The Spanish image suggests a mechanism with a missing screw. It fits the English especially well when the comment concerns a reckless or bizarre decision.
It can be harsher than a comment about being slow to understand something. Avoid presenting it as a neutral term for illness or disability.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 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.
Spanish
Quiere conducir por la zona inundada; le falta un tornillo.
English
She said I was not playing with a full deck when I suggested camping in January.
Spanish
Dijo que me faltaba un tornillo cuando propuse ir de acampada en enero.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01