Idiom
Par for the course
If something is par for the course, it is normal or expected, usually something disappointing or annoying.
How people use it
People use it to shrug at a familiar problem: the train was late again, but that's par for the course. It usually follows is or seems, often with "that's". It is mostly negative, though it can be neutral (long hours are par for the course for new doctors). It is not a compliment, so calling someone's great work par for the course can sound like faint praise. The tone is informal to neutral.
Examples
- Traffic jams on Friday afternoons are par for the course in this city.
- Sam forgot his keys again, which is par for the course for him.
- A few bugs are par for the course when you launch new software.
Where it comes from
It comes from golf. Par is the number of strokes a skilled player is expected to need on a hole or a whole course; the word comes from Latin for "equal". The figurative sense, simply what is normal or expected, appeared in the early 1900s.
Check yourself
1. What does "par for the course" mean?
Answer: Normal or expected. It describes something typical, often a disappointing thing people have learned to expect.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Rainy weekends are par for the course here in November.. The idiom fits something expected and ordinary, not a rare event.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in PAR.