muddle along

muddle along

To attempt to proceed or continue doing something despite being unprepared or lacking the required skills, organization, resources, etc. I forgot my notes for the presentation, so I just had to muddle along off the top of my head. The company fell into disarray after the CEO was arrested, but we've been muddling along ever since.
See also: muddle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

muddle along

to progress in confusion; to continue awkwardly. I will just have to muddle along as best I can until things get straightened out. The project muddled along until the new manager got hold of it.
See also: muddle
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • muddle on
  • clip (something) out of (something)
  • clip out of
  • end in
  • end in (something)
  • a thing
  • a whole thing
  • burn to a cinder
  • burned to a cinder
  • cinder
References in periodicals archive
Europe would muddle along, groping toward monetary union without much economic boost to jostle it further.
Is it permissible here to remind readers that most of the earth's people with disabilities are anonymous heroes who, unlike Christopher Reeve or Forrest Gump, simply muddle along from one day to the next, trying to survive under much less than desirable circumstances?
That will give you the blueprint for your business, rather than trying to just muddle along.
So the question is: Do we go for intelligent rational decision making with an agreed vision of need with policy and strategic intent, or do we continue to muddle along in an incremental way, going nowhere but appeasing local pressure groups.
Where changes have to be initiated by politicians there is a strong incentive to muddle along as long as possible.
If a company really does want to be successful - not merely to survive or muddle along - it will require the best brains and the highest and most appropriate qualifications available.
Personally, I'm happy to muddle along with not enough information, rather than risk the alternative.
You just muddle along and if an opportunity comes up, it would be silly not to take it."
As football continues to happily muddle along over the festive period, it won't be long until the January transfer window opens and the full effects of the recession actually begin to bite.
While some of us live with total disregard for it and others dread it, most of us just muddle along from day to day, hoping that the final judgment will go easy on us.
You muddle along for many years writing educational text books because you are a teacher and don't have time to do anything else but then you take retirement, write a bit of travel and land a three book contract to write crime thrillers which is marvellous."
I think we do this because, by not rocking the boat, we can ensure life won't change; it won't get any worse, it won't get any better, and we will muddle along without any significant life changes.
The jury system assumes that, somehow, left to your own devices, with no training, coaching or facilitation, 12 people with different backgrounds will muddle along and reach a sound conclusion.
They've had enough of letting Bush muddle along with no end in sight while three more flag-draped caskets are flown home every day.
Worcestershire-based Andrew, who guided Univak and GOAL to plc status, said: "Many small firms muddle along because they are put off by what it would cost to hire a high calibre finance director.