English

Verb

seem like a good idea at the time

1. To have been a foolish impromptu or impulsive past action. Used especially as part of an expression of regret.
   • 2002, Joseph Tragert, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Iraq, ISBN 0028643984, page 187:

     File Under "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" ¶ Why take Kuwait? The main answer, of course, has to do with control of oil resources.

   • 2008, March 27, “Thomas Sowell”, in Bipartisan primary blues:

     Do we want the magic words of "universal health care" to end up in a similar tangled mess — as it has already in some other countries — while we end up saying, "it seemed like a good idea at the time"?

   • 2008, June 8, “Joanna Weiss”, in A zany cartoon debut for an animated pair:

     "This could be one of those things where we slap our foreheads and say, 'It seemed like a good idea at the time'," he said.

Usage notes

• Almost exclusively in a past tense in its idiomatic use. Some exceptions preserve the past occurrence of the seeming:
  1. As a frequentative: "It always seems like a good idea at the time."
  2. Future perfect: "It will have seemed like a good idea at the time."
  3. Emphatic past with do: "It did seem like a good idea at the time."