Ugly but Works

Definitions

1. A candid admission that a solution is inelegant yet functional enough for the current need. In engineering slang, ugly but works is acceptable only when teams stay honest about the ugliness and its cost.

   In plain English: Not elegant, but it does the job.

   Example: "The batch conversion job was ugly but worked, which was fine for a one-time migration and not fine as a permanent architecture."

Related Terms

• Close Enough
• It Depends
• Slippery Slope
• Code Mechanic
• Code Sacrifice
• Iron Triangle
• Move Fast Break Things
• Stupid Simple
• Win Some Lose Some
• Worth the Effort