# Best way to say I'm Improvising a Half Assed Fix for a problem **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 26, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-say-im-improvising-a-half-assed-fix-for-a-problem/544597 "2010-06-26T14:16:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-say-im-improvising-a-half-assed-fix-for-a-problem/544597/81 "2016-07-14T04:11:52Z")
Yeah, “Jew him down” is WAY worse than “slightly impolite”. I grew up in a family where that phrase, along with “nigger rig”, was used routinely. I can’t imagine actually saying either of them. Anyway, I’m an IT guy, and I first heard “kludge” in the context of my job. But it’s now my go-to word for any inelegant but effective solution to a problem, IT related or not. A kludge can be a permanent fix. My Corvair sports a number of kludges I’m quite proud of. And “kludge” can be a noun as well as a verb. The adjectival form, of course, is “kludgey”. It’s a wonderful word! ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-say-im-improvising-a-half-assed-fix-for-a-problem/544597/82 "2016-07-15T03:38:12Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > “Jew somebody down” is slightly impolite? Guess you’ve never had someone throw a penny at your feet and tell you to pick it up… Saying the one (to no one in particular) versus doing the other are not even close to comparable… ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-say-im-improvising-a-half-assed-fix-for-a-problem/544597/83 "2016-07-15T10:55:16Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Saying the one (to no one in particular) versus doing the other are not even close to comparable… So? The phrase is not a mild insult, even when directed at no one in particular. Just because the action is worse doesn’t change that. I wasn’t even comparing the two. I was saying that anyone who has experienced antisemitic crap would never have that POV. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-say-im-improvising-a-half-assed-fix-for-a-problem/544597/84 "2016-07-15T14:41:06Z")
In the UK, we might say “lash-up” which sounds a bit nautical, rather similar to “jury rigged”, and implies something serviceable and relatively durable, if inelegant. “Bodge” sounds implicitly unreliable. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-say-im-improvising-a-half-assed-fix-for-a-problem/544597/85 "2016-07-15T15:17:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > When I grew up Nigger Rig was the common expression. It wasn’t an attack on people of color. > > It was simply an expression for sloppy and unprofessional repairs. > These days we can’t say that anymore. > > Afro Engineering replaced it. That was acceptable in the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. > > Now that’s gone. You sound disappointed that what to you was an acceptable term can’t be used because of others’ PC. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-say-im-improvising-a-half-assed-fix-for-a-problem/544597/86 "2016-07-15T15:58:00Z")
Kludge. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-say-im-improvising-a-half-assed-fix-for-a-problem/544597.md?page=4)