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Describing Qualities - Poor Quality or Condition

Explore English idioms regarding poor quality or condition with examples like "worse for wear" and "beyond recall".

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English Idioms used to Describe Qualities
fair to middling

acceptable, but not exceptional

Ex: The food was fair to middling, but the service was friendly. 
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to [leave] {sth} to be desired

to fail to fulfill one's expectations

Ex: The hotel was clean, but the service left a lot to be desired. 
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in (bad|poor|terrible) nick
in bad nick
[phrase]

in a very unfavorable or disadvantageous condition

Ex: The old house is in terrible nick after years of neglect. 
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cracked up to be

used to say that a person or thing is not as good as other people say they are

Ex: The new restaurant is not all it is cracked up to be. 
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the poor man's {sth}

a thing that is less desirable or has a lower quality or price than what was mentioned

Ex: Some people call sparkling wine the poor man's champagne. 
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worse for wear

in a very bad physical condition due to being used for an extended period of time

Ex: The old sofa is worse for wear after years of daily use. 
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dog's (breakfast|dinner)

something that is done very poorly

Ex: The first draft was a dog's breakfast, so we had to rewrite it. 
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{sb} could do worse

used to suggest someone that a particular course of action or choice is better than what they think, even though it is still bad

Ex: If you need a reliable used car, you could do worse than this one. 
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beyond recall

used to refer to something that cannot be restored to its original or previous condition

Ex: By the time we noticed the error, the files were beyond recall. 
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out at (the|) elbows

(of a piece of clothing) looking shabby and worn-out

Ex: His jacket was out at the elbows, but he wore it proudly. 
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at a low ebb
at a low ebb
[phrase]

in a depressed, bad, or weakened state

Ex: His confidence was at a low ebb after the rejection. 
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on the blink
on the blink
[phrase]

used to refer to machinery that is not functioning properly or at all

Ex: The washing machine is on the blink again. 
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out of action

unable to operate normally for a limited time

Ex: The elevator is out of action until the repair team arrives. 
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to [give] up the ghost

(of a machine) to fail to work properly

Ex: The old printer finally gave up the ghost. 
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down at heel
down at heel
[phrase]

looking cheap, worn, or filthy

Ex: The hotel looked down at heel from the outside. 
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crack in {one's} armor

a weakness in someone's defense, confidence, or perfect image

Ex: The mistake revealed a crack in his armor. 
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built on sand

having a weak or unstable foundation

Ex: Their business plan was built on sand. 
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out of commission

unable to work, function, or be used

Ex: The elevator was out of commission all week. 
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