Idiom
So far so good
So far so good means things have gone well up to now, though the job or situation is not finished yet.
How people use it
People say it as a reply to How is it going? when progress is good but there is more to do: The new puppy? So far so good. It carries a little caution, because it hints that problems could still come up. It is informal and very common in speech and texts. Many writers put a comma in the middle (So far, so good), and both forms are seen. It can stand alone or start a sentence: So far, so good with the move.
Also said: so far, so good.
Examples
- How's the new job? So far so good, though I still get lost finding the break room.
- We are halfway through the road trip and, so far, so good with the car.
- The cake is in the oven and nothing has burned, so far so good.
Where it comes from
This is an old saying that has been in English print since at least the early 1700s, when it appeared in a collection of Scottish proverbs. The meaning has hardly changed: as far as things have gone, they are fine. No special story lies behind it.
Check yourself
1. A friend says her new exercise plan is going "so far so good." What does she mean?
Answer: It is going well up to now. So far so good means things are fine so far, but not finished.
2. Which situation fits the phrase best?
Answer: Halfway through painting a room with no spills. The phrase fits something still in progress that is going well.
Similar idioms
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