Question

Slow on the Draw slow to understand or figure something out; slow to respond or react; not alert; not a deep thinker

Accepted Answer

Some of Albert Einstein's teachers thought he was a little slow on the draw. In the American West of the 1800s you often had to be quick on the draw (get your pistol out of the holster fast) to stay out of trouble. If you drew your revolver slowly, you were a candidate for the undertaker. Eventually, the term "slow on the draw" was extended to include actions of the mind and not just the hand. Similar expressions are "slow off the mark" and "slow on the uptake."

Idiom	Slow on the Draw
Example	Some of Albert Einstein's teachers thought he was a little slow on the draw.
Meaning	slow to understand or figure something out; slow to respond or react; not alert; not a deep thinker
Origin	In the American West of the 1800s you often had to be quick on the draw (get your pistol out of the holster fast) to stay out of trouble. If you drew your revolver slowly, you were a candidate for the undertaker. Eventually, the term "slow on the draw" was extended to include actions of the mind and not just the hand. Similar expressions are "slow off the mark" and "slow on the uptake."

Slow Draw Albert Einstein's Teachers Thought Understand Figure