Learn English – n idiom that conveys the meaning of the French “mi figue mi raisin”

frenchidiomstranslation

The French idiom “mi figue, mi raisin” (literally: “half fig, half grape”) refers to someone or something that is neither entirely good, nor entirely bad. I guess the meaning of the expression can be rather well conveyed by translating it as “neither good nor bad”, “not entirely good or bad”, or “part good, part bad”, but… is there a common English idiom that express this idea?

Best Answer

A couple of rather-peripherally-related idioms are neither fish nor fowl and "some of this, some of that", neither of which is as close as Martin Beckett's Curate's egg suggestion, but both of which seem more related than phrases like "six of one, half a dozen of the other".

The idiom "mixed bag" meaning #3, "something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages" seems a good suggestion.