catch-as-catch-can
- idiom
- Informal
- In our catch-as-catch-can strategy for managing the event, we relied on volunteers to handle various tasks as needed.
Examples
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For the most part, finding duplicates at the other CU system libraries is a catch-as-catch-can process.
Academic text (2013) -
That is very easy compared to scratching a living, catch as catch can.
Blog text (26) -
If making money is your goal, then it is catch-as-catch-can.
Blog text (31) -
Despite pockets of sanity in our "vision," the end result is catch-as-catch-can.
Blog text (3) -
During the project, we adopted a catch-as-catch-can approach to solve unexpected problems as they arose.
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The repairs were done in a catch-as-catch-can manner, using whatever tools were available at the time.
Synonyms
Decide or think of things during a situation without planning ahead
Made quickly for a specific purpose when needed
Using any way to get something done no matter what it takes
Acting on instinct rather than careful planning
People make decisions by guessing when there is no clear plan
Antonyms
How Organized
Surface Forms
Etymology
Catch-as-catch-can comes from an old wrestling style where wrestlers were allowed to catch 'to grab' any hold they can 'are able' to get. So, catch-as-catch-can now means doing something with whatever you have on hand, in a loose, improvised way.