close enough for government work

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Adjective

close enough for government work (not comparable)

1. (US, idiomatic, humorous, derogatory) Adequate; acceptable as government work, imperfect but not worth the time nor effort of improving.
2. (Canada, idiomatic, humorous) Acceptable; equivalent to government work, neither worse nor better.

Synonyms

• good enough for government work
• See Thesaurus:satisfactory