short of a sheet, phr. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

short of a sheet phr.

also short of a bit

[the sheets of bark used to roof early dwellings ]

used of someone who is not very intelligent; also as short of a sheet of bark; thus short sheet n., a simpleton.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 86: Maybe she was short of a bit. It was on the cards that Arthur could not serve her good. He looked a weakling sort of a bastard.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1944		Maurer & Baker ‘“Aus.” Rhyming Argot’ in AS XIX:3.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 238/2: short sheet – simpleton.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. of Rhy. Sl.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 187: short of a sheet of bark Mentally deficient. ANZ.

have a sheet short (v.)

(Aus.) to be mentally deficient.

1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.].
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.