A curate's egg

[BringBackCoffeeCreams]

Have you heard this expression before?

The English teacher at my school asked me to explain this to his class as when he googled it it said it was a British expression. So as I'm the only brit it fell to me to explain.

Have I lived under a rock for the last 50 years as I didn't have the foggiest. I asked DH when I got home and he knew it. But he's weird so that's not a fair test of how well known it is.

Do you know what it means? I wouldn't want this class of foreigners thinking we're all going round spouting stuff like this if you're all as clueless as I was.

It’s from an ancient Punch cartoon. It means good in parts.

Yes, it's not exactly obscure.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curate%27s_egg

I do know, but I would say it is quite an old-fashioned saying these days. No shame in not knowing it. IME, it's common for language teaching to lag a bit behind what's current.

Yes. I’d use it now. It means “good in parts”. I think it’s a common expression.

Yes, I know it. The curate didn't want to tell the bishop(?) that his egg was bad for fear of appearing rude, so he said it was 'very good in parts'.

I know what it means; I’d say it’s quite dated, but then so am I. I like it.

Yes, I'd say it was a fairly normal phrase

I know it means “good in parts” but I had forgotten the joke it’s associated with.

No idea about this.

Also I know it, but 50+, would use it but not with youngsters as I wouldn't expect them to.

The cartoon 'true humility' it comes from is on this page

www.quora.com/What-does-the-phrase-curate-s-egg-mean

Not British, but it’s pretty familiar, if extremely old-fashioned these days.

I'm nearly 50. I'd heard of it, but I didn't know what it meant until I read this.

Never heard of it

Ive certainly read this expression but I don't know what it mea s.

Yes, I know what it means and it's a phrase used often enough that I'm never surprised to hear it. I'm in my 40s.

I know this. My mum often quotes it.

I looked it up this morning because the Times used it. Otherwise I’d have heard of it but not understood it.

I'm 47 and have never heard of it

Oh yes, the Curate's egg was defo good in parts....

I'm in my 40s and never heard this phrase either.

I often have language students staying and we frequently have conversations about what phrases they learn are actually used in everyday conversations. Haven't been asked curates egg one yet though

I've heard of it, but I think it means more than "good in parts" as an egg that is "good in parts" is pretty much a bad egg and is only being described as "good in parts" to try not to be rude.

My favourite idiomatic phrase like that is "jam tomorrow".

I do occassionally use this expression, and yes I know its derivation.

These are two of my favourite expressions. So British.