one of His Majesty's bad bargains
An incapable (sick, etc) or incompetent soldier.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The sergeant called the new recruit one of His Majesty's bad bargains.”
“Because the soldier could not march or clean his rifle, the captain considered him one of His Majesty's bad bargains.”
“Despite his noble family background, the young officer proved to be one of His Majesty's bad bargains, failing to lead his men during the heat of battle.”
Suggesting that the soldier is not worth the pay he receives (the King's shilling).
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as best one can
In the best possible way, given one's circumstances and abilities.
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as far as one knows
To the best of one's knowledge, as far as someone knows or possible information to be gathered about the topic, subject, aspect, or situation.
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back to square one
Located back at the start, as after a dead end or failure.
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bad actor
An individual or entity with a prior criminal conviction, or who has been sanctioned by the court or regulator.
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bad apple
A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy, especially one who has an adverse influence on others.
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bad books
Disfavor.
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bad business
Synonym of bad news (“irritating, troublesome or harmful thing, situation or person”).
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bad company
The wrong crowd.
Last updated August 10, 2026