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REFERENCE

fudge factor

idiom
Meaning

A quantity introduced to compensate for uncertainty.


Examples
SIMPLE

We added a fudge factor to cover unexpected costs.

CONTEXTUAL

The builder included a fudge factor in his estimate because he wasn't sure how long the repairs would take.

COMPLEX

Recognizing the volatility of raw material prices, the economist inserted a modest fudge factor into his forecast to account for market fluctuations no model could predict.

Anchors to
Related idioms6entries
  1. 01

    factor in

    To consider as a factor.

  2. 02

    factor space

    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

  3. 03

    fudge the issue

    Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.

  4. 04

    gut factor

    The emotional dimension of decision-making. A person's subjective (often almost visceral) feelings about what is right or wrong, good or bad.

  5. 05

    pack fudge

    To perform anal sex.

  6. 06

    X factor

    An unknown or hard-to-define influence; a factor with unknown or unforeseeable consequences.

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