pretty state of affairs
a pretty state of affairs
A situation that has gone wrong and is very problematic or unpleasant. (The use of "pretty" is ironic.) Well, this is a pretty state of affairs we're in now. The client doesn't like the job we've done, and they want it fixed in less than a week. And now the police have gotten involved—this sure turned into a pretty state of affairs, didn't it? A: "We're supposed to be negotiating the terms of this divorce, and the husband and wife have spent all day screaming at each other." B: "Sounds like a pretty state of affairs."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
pretty state of affairs
and fine state of affairsan unpleasant state of affairs. This is a pretty state of affairs, and it's all your fault. What a fine state of affairs you've got us into.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.