Question

Par for the Course just what was expected; normal; typical

Accepted Answer

Mr. Hernandez gave me a 'C.' The way he's been grading lately, that's about par for the course. In the 1920s this expression, which came from golf, was broadened to include other activities in life. In golf, "par" is the number of golf strokes it usually takes for a golf expert to play a course. That's how "par for the course" came to mean a typical or expected result. It usually has a slightly negative tone to it: "It took me three hours to get home in this blizzard, about par for the course." Related expressions are "up to par" (satisfactory) and "below par" (unsatisfactory).

Idiom	Par for the Course
Example	Mr. Hernandez gave me a 'C.' The way he's been grading lately, that's about par for the course.
Meaning	just what was expected; normal; typical
Origin	In the 1920s this expression, which came from golf, was broadened to include other activities in life. In golf, "par" is the number of golf strokes it usually takes for a golf expert to play a course. That's how "par for the course" came to mean a typical or expected result. It usually has a slightly negative tone to it: "It took me three hours to get home in this blizzard, about par for the course." Related expressions are "up to par" (satisfactory) and "below par" (unsatisfactory).

Par Typical Golf Mr Hernandez Gave C Grading