better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick en · X
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Meanings
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(humorous) Better than nothing; not unsatisfactory but also not a reason for enthusiastic excitement.
Mr. Cuomo described the Dinkins endorsement as politically significant, but it is unclear just how much it matters. . . . "Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick," to borrow one of the former Mayor's favorite maxims.
1994 October 7, Todd S. Purdum, “The 1994 Campaign: After Wary Weeks, Dinkins Announces Support for Cuomo”, in New York Times, retrieved 13 Sep 2015:
Synonyms
better than a kick in the teeth · better than a poke in the eye with a rusty nail · better than a poke in the eye · better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick · better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick
Translations (2)
it meglio di un pugno in un occhio (better than nothing) · cs lepší než drátem do oka. (better than nothing)