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up vote 2 down vote favorite

As in:

I don't want to half-ass this project or I'll be fired.

Don't half-ass this project or I'll fire you.

I half-assed this project and was fired.

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1  
"Half-assed" is normally used as an adjective, not a verb. While there's no particular reason not to verb it, it seems unnecessary and unlovely to me. – user1579 May 18 '11 at 17:05

5 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

There are some similar phrases such as:

  • Piss-poor
  • Half-cocked

Some good words not as deep into slang would be

  • makeshift
  • shoddy
  • unenthused, unmotivated, uninspired
  • ill-prepared
  • slack
  • lackadaisical
  • pococurante

I don't want to [be] unmotivated [on] this project or I'll be fired.

Don't slack [on] this project or I'll fire you.

I [did] shody [work on] this project and was fired.

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2  
+1 lackadaisical, which I love, and pococurante, which I have never heard of. I'd add slack and slack-ass too. – KitFox♦ May 18 '11 at 15:36
Attribute that one to my co-worker ;p – Garet Claborn May 18 '11 at 16:29
up vote 1 down vote

I use "BS," which stands for "bull-sh!t." In my high school, we students often talked of BS-ing our English papers....and basically every other assignment. BS-ing something more or less means making sure everything takes the proper form (but the substance may well be ridiculous) and having neither time nor inclination to bother with it any further.

Sounds like what you're looking for. :)

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up vote 1 down vote

I don't want to do this project half-heartedly. I want to put due effort into this project. I want this project to succeed.

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up vote 0 down vote

I would suggest "play at":

I don't want to play at the project or I will be fired.

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up vote -1 down vote
  • I don't want to cock-up this project or I'll be fired.
  • Don't cock-up this project or I'll fire you.
  • I cocked-up this project and was fired.
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You aren't allowed to say cock-up in polite company in America. Too many images of cocks out and dangling at full mast. I know you will find this silly, perhaps insane, but trust me: you will embarrass people if you do. – tchrist Aug 20 '12 at 20:28

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