Workmanlike

Two old words from the trades describe work that is solid but not outstanding.

workmanlike — Done with the skill expected of a good worker or performer, but usually not in an exciting or impressive way. Learner’s Dictionary gives the example “a workmanlike performance.”

journeyman — A worker, performer or athlete who is experienced and good but not excellent. In the trades, a journeyman is a worker who has finished an apprenticeship. In 2012 the Columbia Journalism Review warned that calling someone a journeyman “could be taken as an insult.”

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