several

be one card/several cards short of a full deck (humorous)

if someone is one card short of a full deck, they are stupid or crazy. Do you think your cousin might be one card short of a full deck?

See also: card, deck, full, short

have [a lot of/a few/several etc.] strings to your bow (British & Australian)

another string to your bow - an extra skill or qualification which you can use if you cannot use your main one. She's a trained counsellor and she does pottery classes in the evenings - she has several strings to her bow.

See also: bow, few, lot, string

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several irons in the fire

a number of jobs or possibilities available at the same time. Job counselors recommend keeping several irons in the fire when you’re looking for work.

Usage notes: also used in the forms a lot of or many irons in the fire

Etymology: possibly from the fact that people who take care of cattle keep several branding irons (= devices used to burn a mark on the skin of a cow) in a fire and ready for use when they are marking cows

See also: fire, iron