a bit of a crapshoot
1
9.5
- idiom
- Slang
:
un poco arriesgado
Examples
-
"It's a bit of a crapshoot; it always has been over the years, and it is what it is.
Blog text (3) -
It's always a bit of a crapshoot bringing in college coaches.
Blog text (3) -
So today's run was a bit of a crapshoot.
Blog text (4) -
It will always be a bit of a crapshoot.
Blog text (20) -
Choosing a restaurant in this area is always a bit of a crapshoot since you never know how good the food will be.
-
Investing in that startup felt like a bit of a crapshoot because there were no guarantees of success.
-
In terms of weather, planning an outdoor wedding in July can be a bit of a crapshoot due to unpredictable storms.
Synonyms
65
3.5
A risky action with an uncertain result that may depend on chance
20
6.2
A situation where two results have the same chance
7
9.1
A risky situation where the result depends mostly on luck
A situation that is very uncertain and likely to change
A choice with an uncertain result that may be risky
A decision that depends mostly on chance
Antonyms
How Predictable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines the degree modifier 'a bit of a' with the noun 'crapshoot' (an uncertain activity), so the overall meaning 'somewhat risky or left to chance' is directly derivable from the parts. Although 'crapshoot' is informal/slang, the compositional pattern (degree phrase + noun) is regular and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
A bit of a crapshoot comes from the dice game 'craps', where a player would shoot the dice and the result was all luck. So calling something a bit of a crapshoot means it is 'uncertain' or only partly predictable.