addlebrain

There he stands, shuffling his feet, this adolescent whose potbellied father used to thrash his hide not more than half a year ago in order to train him with such methods to become a merchant in maggoty flour and mouldy jam: there he stands, moaning and groaning, this addlebrain, torturing himself as he tries in vain to remember the pertinent paragraphs of the rules that were crammed into his stupid head -- and he cannot make up his mind whether to use his hatchet on the noble don, to shout for help, or to simply wave him on his way.

Hard to be a god Strugatski, Arkadi & Strugatski, Boris 1973