curate's egg
something that is good and bad
TRANSLATION
curate = der Hilfspfarrer curate's egg = etw. das zugleich gute und schlechte Eigenschaften oder Aspekte hat (see etymology below) --- GOOGLE INDEX curate's egg: 79,100 hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
The report on planning workforce shortages released in Melbourne today is something of a CURATE'S EGG - good in parts, the President of the Australian Local Government Association, Councillor Mike Montgomery, said today.
(The Australian Local Government Association)
---
Insurance specialist Debra Higgins said, “The new law is a bit like a CURATE'S EGG, good in parts but bad in others.”
(adapted from www.injurywatch.co.uk)
(The Australian Local Government Association)
---
Insurance specialist Debra Higgins said, “The new law is a bit like a CURATE'S EGG, good in parts but bad in others.”
(adapted from www.injurywatch.co.uk)
Did you
know?
curate's egg
idiomatic phrase
- something bad that is called good out of politeness (original meaning)
- something that is both good and bad (conventional usage)
(DH)
---
WORD ORIGIN
The phrase originated in the George du Maurier cartoon "True Humility", which was published in the Punch magazine on November 9, 1895. The cartoon shows an English vicar (Pfarrer) and a young curate (Hilfspfarrer) sitting at a restaurant table:
Right Reverend Host. "I'm afraid you've got a bad Egg, Mr. Jones!"
The curate. "Oh no, my Lord! I assure you, parts of it are excellent!"
This cartoon is a brilliant example of two very British characteristics: an ironic sense of humour and a tendency towards extreme politeness. A bad egg obviously cannot be partly good. But the young curate, not wanting to offend or make the vicar uncomfortable, attempts to put a positive light on the situation.
Thus the phrase originally meant something that was bad, but is referred to as good purely to avoid an unpleasant situation or atmosphere.
Today, curate's egg more often refers to something that has both good and bad aspects.
Speaking of eggs, here are a few more eggy phrases for your repertoire:
- to have egg on one's face = to look foolish or be embarrassed
- a bad egg = someone who behaves in a bad or dishonest way
- a good egg = a person with good qualities (usually a kind person)
- kill the goose that lays the golden egg = to destroy something that is profitable
- a nest egg = an amount of money that one has saved
- put all your eggs in one basket = to risk losing everything by putting all your efforts or all your money into one plan or one course of action
- you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs = something you say when it is difficult to achieve something important without causing any unpleasant effects
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“The drive to the office today was a bit of curate's egg. I sat in a traffic jam for one hour, but had time to read the newspaper and listen to some music.”
idiomatic phrase
- something bad that is called good out of politeness (original meaning)
- something that is both good and bad (conventional usage)
(DH)
---
WORD ORIGIN
The phrase originated in the George du Maurier cartoon "True Humility", which was published in the Punch magazine on November 9, 1895. The cartoon shows an English vicar (Pfarrer) and a young curate (Hilfspfarrer) sitting at a restaurant table:
Right Reverend Host. "I'm afraid you've got a bad Egg, Mr. Jones!"
The curate. "Oh no, my Lord! I assure you, parts of it are excellent!"
This cartoon is a brilliant example of two very British characteristics: an ironic sense of humour and a tendency towards extreme politeness. A bad egg obviously cannot be partly good. But the young curate, not wanting to offend or make the vicar uncomfortable, attempts to put a positive light on the situation.
Thus the phrase originally meant something that was bad, but is referred to as good purely to avoid an unpleasant situation or atmosphere.
Today, curate's egg more often refers to something that has both good and bad aspects.
Speaking of eggs, here are a few more eggy phrases for your repertoire:
- to have egg on one's face = to look foolish or be embarrassed
- a bad egg = someone who behaves in a bad or dishonest way
- a good egg = a person with good qualities (usually a kind person)
- kill the goose that lays the golden egg = to destroy something that is profitable
- a nest egg = an amount of money that one has saved
- put all your eggs in one basket = to risk losing everything by putting all your efforts or all your money into one plan or one course of action
- you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs = something you say when it is difficult to achieve something important without causing any unpleasant effects
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“The drive to the office today was a bit of curate's egg. I sat in a traffic jam for one hour, but had time to read the newspaper and listen to some music.”
