Close enough for government work

"Close enough for government work" (also phrased "good enough for government work") is a slang phrase made popular in the 1960s.

The origin of the phrase "It's good enough for Government work" originated in World War II. It grew out of our country's massive push to supply vehicles and weapons to support our young men and women in their fight against the Axis powers. When something was "good enough for Government work" it meant it could pass the most rigorous of standards. It was good enough to serve your father, husband, son, or daughter in the most dangerous of circumstances. Over the years it has somehow become a negative represenation of poorly executed work.

More often used in the southern region of the United States, it is a reference to the seemingly inept performance of government officials and departments, but is not necessarily limited to use in governmental business.

The phrase is used to indicate end results of a project or task that did not turn out as well as expected. Upon completion of the (usually routine) task, a person will say "that's close enough (good enough) for government work", indicating that while the result was not as expected, it May Be good enough to pass for completion, and in any event no further effort will be made to improve On It.