It works better than it doesn't.

Saying something "works better than it doesn't." I'm having a hard time trying to figure if that makes sense. I wanted to use it in something I was writing but hesitated. Not sure if it's nonsensical. Can't find it verbatim anywhere online. Is that because it IS nonsensical? With some equations brain doesn't cooperate.

Does saying "works a little better than it doesn't" change the meaning? [assuming it means anything to begin with...]

Apologies. Cylinders especially gummy today.


edit: This is the kind of day it is. I had to look up thesaurus.com for the opposite of the word doesn't. Geezuz, I really ought not to roam far today. Maybe put on my old motorcycle helmet too. Suspecting it wouldn't take much of a tap to screw up single digit addition/subtraction.

Yes...It's kind of like saying "It's better than nothing." Hope I haven't made matters worse mar dhea, heh

I've never heard that. It makes no sense to me maybe 'it just about manages to do the minimum it's supposed to do' but ppl should just say that then.

The Dutch are the worst for little sayings like 'We'll knit an end on this now' or 'we're not sitting here for bacon and beans!' It makes life difficult for non-native speakers like me, actually feels a bit racist because it's excluding people who didn't grow up listening to the utter nonsense secret code jargon :-/

Think of it as, [the thing in question] helps [the problem with the situation] more than 50% of the whole problem.

So if I had a flooding basement, and my sump pump managed to prevent most of the damage, even if it didn't save everything, I could say "it works better than it doesn't."

Thank you! I was thinking about the fraction bit but wasn't able to put in into a sensible thought. You've stated it just as I was hoping to see it. I remember thinking a 49/51 sort of concept but couldn't get beyond that. Ty! It now makes sense. Happy to know it works!

PS:

Line has been reinserted into what I was writing.