soʊ fɑːr soʊ ɡʊd
General
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Up to this point, things are good
What does "so far so good" mean?
- Things have gone well up to now
- Progress has been satisfactory so far
Examples
- How's the project? So far so good.
- So far so good, but we're not done yet.
- The treatment is working—so far so good.
Origin
Simple expression of cautious optimism. Used since the mid-1800s.
How to use it
Implies cautious optimism—things could still go wrong. Very common conversational phrase.
Similar expressions
up to now okay
all good so far
progressing well
Opposites
not going well
problematic
troubled
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
- rule of thumb
A practical principle or guideline
Use it in a practice answer
Try "so far so good" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.