curate's egg

noun

British.

1. something discreetly declared to be partly good but in fact thoroughly bad.

curate's egg

noun

1. something that has both good and bad parts

Word History and Origins

Origin of curate's egg¹

After a cartoon by G. du Maurier in the English humor weekly Punch (Nov. 9, 1895): a meek curate, when served a bad egg at the bishop's table, replies that “parts of it are excellent”

Word History and Origins

Origin of curate's egg¹

C20: derived from a cartoon in Punch (November, 1895) in which a timid curate, who has been served a bad egg while breakfasting with his bishop, says that parts of the egg are excellent