Wordcraft Community Home Page
Building a plane in mid-air

This topic can be found at:
https://wordcraft.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/932607094/m/3260057666

October 13, 2013, 08:17
bethree5
Building a plane in mid-air
I gather this expression has been around for awhile in punditry circles. I've often seen it as a pejorative used to suggest that a governmental policy was poorly thought out before being foisted on the public & was having unintended consequences. Here's an example.

Yet in the world of educational bureaucracy the phrase is often now embraced as a sort-of macho and exciting jump into the unknown, although naysayers point out the folly of such an endeavor.

Do you come across the expression? Is it used to jeer or promote?
October 13, 2013, 13:12
<Proofreader>
Starting a project without laying the proper groundwork and hoping to make it work while in progress, even though there is no evidence it is viable. An example is the Republican plan to defund Obamacare by shutting down the government.
October 13, 2013, 15:48
Geoff
I fail to see why one would want to build one of these while flying: http://www.rockler.com/product...zylLoCFelAMgodq1UAMA


It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
October 13, 2013, 21:07
Kalleh
Interesting question, Bethree. However, in your second link, I did not see it as exciting as you did. I saw it mostly as being a necessity. After all, he acknowledges that "I'm not using my assigned day to post to complain here. I am up for this challenge." To me, he is trying to make the best of it, but still sees it as fixing things as you go, which he doesn't see as optimal.
quote:
Much has been said of its positive attributes a la job creation, infrastructure improvement and housing market stability by the administration and its proponents.
I found this quote odd in Bethree's first link. "a la job creation"?