the lights are on, but no one's home

the lights are on, but no one's home

A humorous expression used to say that someone is stupid, unthinking, or inattentive. Hello, Pete? Earth to Pete. He must be daydreaming again—the lights are on, but no one's home. I kept asking the suspect questions about what happened, and they just kept staring at me blankly. The lights are on, but no one's home, you know what I mean?

See also: but, home, lights, no

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.