ROUGH-AND-READY Definition & Meaning

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rough-and-ready

[ruhf-uhn-red-ee]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

rough, rude, or crude, but good enough for the purpose.
a rough-and-ready estimate of future expenses.
exhibiting or showing rough vigor rather than refinement or delicacy.
a cowboy—the rough-and-ready type.

rough-and-ready

adjective

crude, unpolished, or hastily prepared, but sufficient for the purpose
(of a person) without formality or refinement; rudely vigorous

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

rough-and-readiness noun
ˈ��ǳܲ��-��Ի�-ˈ��𲹻徱�Ա�� noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of rough-and-ready¹

First recorded in 1800–10

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Idioms and Phrases

Unrefined or makeshift but available for use or action, as in The agenda is somewhat rough and ready, but it covers the main issues. [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Trump is a hero to many in the South and many Western states because, cossetted New York rich-boy though he may be, Republican voters see him as a rough-and-ready fellow rebel.

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The rough-and-ready stemmed projectile points, made from whatever rocks were on hand, differ significantly from so-called Clovis points.

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For Mr. Trump, the tough talk with reporters was part of his persona as a rough-and-ready political pugilist standing up to the media elites.

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From the genteel Thomas the Tank Engine to the rough-and-ready racecar Lightning McQueen, children’s entertainment has been filled with talking cartoon vehicles that run on feelings as much as on fuel.

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The New York Times called her “pert and twinkling”; The Washington Post, “uber-confident, rough-and-ready”; The Wall Street Journal, “deliciously impish and knowing.”

From

roughage rough-and-tumble

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