What would you understand by it if someone said "She's a number"?

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

A friend was describing someone we both know (and like) who is hard to describe. My friend said "She's a number, isn't she?" and couldn't explain it better than to say "You know! She's a number. A number!"

It came back to my mind today and I looked it up but I didn't find a clear explanation (my friend definitely didn't mean "She's a number 2" btw).

I’ve heard “she’s a card” plenty. I’d assume “she’s a number” means the same kind of thing?

Maybe that she's non-descript, unimportant, unremarkable?

The opposite of someone not being a number?

I'd take it as someone who's manipulative, but I'm not sure why I think that.

I'd take it the same way as somebody saying she's a piece of work.

Same as above. She's a piece of work.

I agree with the PP,. It would be similar to 'shes a card'. A bit of a trouble maker, someone to keep an eye on. But I'm not sure it is actually a saying 😂
Maybe it's a muddle up from the saying 'she did a real number on him'?

I think it means similar to ‘she’s a one’.

ie someone who is funny, a bit of a clown/entertainer.

Quite a common phrase I think. Means (for me) she's hard work.

Me too.
Related to 'he's really done a number on you' meaning he's got one over you, or manipulated you in some way.
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/do-a-number-on

I’ve not heard it to describe a person but have to describe someone’s action e.g. she did a number on you, didn’t she? Which I interpret as she did something not nice that ended with the person losing something.

No idea, not a phrase I've ever heard.

My Nan would have used it to mean mischevious or naughty but not in a particularly bad way. Like a kid that's cheeky but cute, or a teenager who regularly spins a line to get round parents rules.

For an adult I'd imagine maybe someone with a very eccentric dress sense, or someone habitually late / very disorganised but nice with it so you can't be cross at them.

It's a seemingly lighthearted phrase that means something a bit nastier. A bit like "what is she like?". Depends on who said it and what the person they said it about was like. Could be just frustration or real dislike. Hard to tell.

Actually re reading your op and thinking about it, it could be that the person using it was using it in the wrong context or the wrong word when she said number. "She's a one, isn't she?" could be what she meant.

I’d think it was kind of similar to the saying ‘he did a number on me’ and would mean the person was manipulative, hard work, not very nice and one to be watched. Similar to a piece of work.

That said it would depend on the context. For example if you were talking about members of a group/ club/ band etc and said about one of them, ‘she’s a number’ I might think you meant that she was just there to make the group look bigger but wasn’t really an integral part of it and wasn’t offering any sort of meaningful contribution.

I wouldn't have a clue either OP.

I'd say that they were a nasty piece of work.

Not heard that but would take it to mean 'she's a piece of work'.

It sounds like piece of work is what your friend meant. I also think she may have got it from ‘she’s done a number on you’.

She sounds a bit muddled

Same as 'she's a right sort'!

I've heard it before and take it to mean 'she's a bit out of the ordinary' or 'she's quite something' - so not necessarily in a bad way, it could be that she's got eclectic dress sense or a chaotic personality or is a bit loud, but it could also be that she's over-dramatic or a liar, or worse.

I’ve always known it to mean beautiful/stunning. Like wow she’s a real number. Or her dress is a lovely little number etc.

Like “she’s something else” is how I’d describe it.

Unpleasant manipulative person