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New2grammar Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

bad

She was halfway to the door when she saw the new guy at the piano. He wasn't [half] bad.

I don't understand the usage of 'half' in this context. Any idea? Thanks in advance!
  

Top answer

Saying that someone or something "is not half bad" is a way of saying that the person/thing is fairly or almost good. Using this expressions suggests that the speaker expected that the person/thing could have been a lot worse.

— Yankee

  • Saying that someone or something "is not half bad" is a way of saying that the person/thing is fairly or almost good.
  • Using this expressions suggests that the speaker expected that the person/thing could have been a lot worse.
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3 Answers
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Saying that someone or something "is not half bad" is a way of saying that the person/thing is fairly or almost good. Using this expressions suggests that the speaker expected that the person/thing could have been a lot worse.
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Could I replace it with 'He wasn't that bad' and still retain the meaning?
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