Phrases & SayingsEveryday life
not the full bottle
Also: not quite the full bottle
Not very intelligent or not fully informed.
In a sentence
He knew the basics but was not the full bottle.
Where it came from
The Australian National Dictionary Centre records “not the full bottle” in Australian usage. Its deeper origin remains uncertain.
- First recorded
- 1940s
- Initial era
- 1900–1949
- Where used
- Australia-wide