sad sack

noun

Slang.

1. a pathetically inept person, especially a soldier, who continually blunders in spite of good intentions.

sad sack

noun

1. slang,  an inept person who makes mistakes despite good intentions

Other Word Forms

• sad-sack adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sad sack¹

After the cartoon character created in 1942 by U.S. cartoonist George Baker (1915–75)

Word History and Origins

Origin of sad sack¹

C20: from a cartoon character created by G. Baker, US cartoonist

Idioms and Phrases

A singularly inept person, as in Poor George is a hopeless sad sack. This term alludes to a cartoon character, Sad Sack, invented by George Baker in 1942 and representing a soldier in ill-fitting uniform who failed at whatever he tried to do. It was soon transferred to clumsily inept civilians.