"Par for the course" is an idiom that means something is normal or expected, especially when it comes to a difficult or challenging situation. It comes from the game of golf, where "par" is the expected number of strokes a skilled golfer should take to complete a hole or a course.
For example, if someone says, "It's raining on the day of my wedding, but that's par for the course," they mean that it's not unexpected or unusual for it to rain on a wedding day. Or if someone says, "I got stuck in traffic on my way to work again today, but that's par for the course," they mean that it's a normal occurrence for them to experience traffic on their commute.
In general, you can use this idiom when you want to express that something is typical or expected, even if it's not ideal or desirable. It's a way of acknowledging that a situation is not ideal, but also recognizing that it's not out of the ordinary.
• The movie had some predictable moments, but that's par for the course in this genre.
• The company's profits were down this quarter, but that's par for the course in this industry.
• The food at that restaurant wasn't amazing, but it was par for the course.
• After years of working in journalism, I've learned that receiving criticism is par for the course.
• The government's response to the crisis was slow and inefficient, but unfortunately, that's par for the course.
• The traffic in this city is always heavy, but that's par for the course.
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