bad excuse is better than none
a bad excuse is better than none
proverb Offering an excuse, no matter how ridiculous, creates the possibility that others might accept it (as opposed to offering no excuse at all). They'll be furious with you if you show up late for no reason. A bad excuse is better than none! A: "I can't tell my teacher that the dog ate my homework!" B: "Come on, a bad excuse is better than none."
See also: bad, better, excuse, none
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
bad excuse is better than none
Prov. If you offer some explanation for an unwanted action, there is a slight chance that it will be accepted and you will therefore not be in trouble, but if you have no explanation at all, you do not even have that slight chance. Fred: I can't believe we played cards till midnight! What will I tell my wife when she asks why I'm so late getting home? Bill: Tell her something came up at the office. Fred: But that's a lousy excuse. She'll never believe it. Bill: A bad excuse is better than none.
See also: bad, better, excuse, none
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
- teach a man to fish
- it takes a village
- village
- best-laid plans go astray, the
- the best-laid plans
- the best-laid plans go astray
- the best-laid plans of mice and men
- for want of a nail
- For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse ...
- beget