couldn't hit the broad side of a barn
Aim so bad you'd miss a barn standing sideways.
Also called can't hit the broad side of a barn.
Updated September 21, 2026
couldn't hit the broad side of a barn pronunciation
/KOOD-unt hit thuh BRAWD side uv uh BARN/
Meaning
Said when somebody can't shoot, throw, or aim worth a lick. The barn's wide wall is supposed to be the easiest target around, so missing it is the joke. Redneck talk uses it for hunting misses, ball games, and any chore that needs a steady hand.
How folks use it
- “Don't hand him the rifle; he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.”
- “That pitcher couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if you painted a bullseye on it.”
Origin and etymology
American rural humor from the mid-1800s about awful marksmanship. Later baseball talk borrowed it for wild pitchers. The barn picture is general country talk more than one state's coinage, but it sits natural in Southern porch ribbing.