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Reference : Idioms : H : half-baked

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half-baked Informal

Meaning: If something is half-baked, it hasn't been properly thought out or planned.

For example:

  • The trouble with Mick is that some of his ideas are good, but a lot of them are half-baked and can't be used.

  • Editing a student newspaper is difficult because I get a lot of half-baked poems and stories from the kids, and they get upset if I don't publish them.

Origin: Probably metaphorical, from the fact that if something is being cooked in an oven, or baked, it'll be half-baked if it's taken out of the oven too soon, and it won't be worth eating.

Quick Quiz:

Jerry has come up with another of his half-baked schemes to make millions of dollars, but it
  1. needs more baking
  2. can't possibly work
  3. will work for sure

Discuss: half-baked

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