good enough for government work
Also found in: Acronyms.
good enough for government work
Serviceable or adequate; passably sufficient. The phrase implies that government work is usually of mediocre quality. When my project ripped in half as I walked out the door, my mom glued it back together and sent me on my way, saying, "It's good enough for government work!" A: "Are you sure this report is ready to be published? There are a lot of issues with some of the research." B: "Meh. Good enough for government work."