If you suggest a person is No Great Shakes then you are implying that they are not particularly effective, and not up to a good standard. In this context, the word “shakes” comes from the Old English word “schakere”, to boast or brag. The phrase was used frequently in the 13th century and a person “of no great schakere” had nothing to boast about. Another widely held belief of the phrase’s origin is the game of dice, suggesting a poor player wasn't any good because his “shakes” were not effective enough.