Meaning & use
quick n dirty
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Done quickly and without much care, usually just good enough to solve a problem for now.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a quick n dirty solution. Not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- quick n dirty solution
- quick n dirty fix
- quick n dirty method
We need a quick n dirty fix before the client arrives.
He made a quick n dirty version of the report just to show the idea.
This is a quick n dirty approach, so don't expect it to be perfect.
Common combinations
- quick n dirty fix
- A quick n dirty fix kept the website running overnight.
- quick n dirty solution
- They came up with a quick n dirty solution to the seating problem.
- quick n dirty job
- It was a quick n dirty job, but it worked.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rough-and-ready
- Similar meaning but slightly more positive; suggests something is simple but effective.
- makeshift
- Focuses on being temporary rather than quick; not always careless.
Opposites
Commonly confused: quick n dirty or quick and dirty?
quick n dirty vs quick and dirty
This is the standard spelling with 'and'. 'Quick n dirty' is an informal written shortening of the same phrase.
Practice
We just need a ___ fix to get the app working again today.
Choose one answer.
'Quick n dirty' is the fixed informal phrase. 'Quickly n dirty' is wrong because 'quickly' is an adverb and cannot modify a noun; the other options are not established forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “quick n dirty”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.