On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 17:07:04 +1200, Eric Stevens
wrote:

Very much the curate's egg.

I'm not familiar with that. Will you explain for me?

A 19th century 'Punch' cartoon. The very new curate is having
breakfast with his bishop and finds the boiled egg he has been served
is rotten. The curate lacks the courage to complain about the bishop's
breakfast fodder but the expression on his face alerts the bishop to
the fact that all is not well. The bishop then asks ' ... and how is
your egg?' The curate still too nervous to say the egg is rotten
replies "Parts of it are excellent, my lord". That last is the comment
I applied to Mallery's book.


http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-cur1.htm gives an even better
explanation.




Eric Stevens