the lights are on, but nobody's home

phrase

Somebody is conscious or paying attention, but failing to understand.

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Meanings

phrase

alternative the lights are on but nobody's home · alternative the lights are on but no one's home

  1. colloquialhumorousSomebody is conscious or paying attention, but failing to understand.
Cite this entry
APA

the lights are on, but nobody's home. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20lights%20are%20on%2C%20but%20nobody's%20home

MLA

“the lights are on, but nobody's home.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20lights%20are%20on%2C%20but%20nobody's%20home. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the lights are on, but nobody's home,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20lights%20are%20on%2C%20but%20nobody's%20home.

Source: the lights are on, but nobody's home on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.