No good vs Not good

Minor Thing · #1 (permalink) Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:13 am *No good vs Not good*

Hello everybody,

There is a question I have always wanted to ask: What is the difference between no good and not good?
Thanks in advance

Alan · #2 (permalink) Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:21 am *Good etc*

Hi Minor Thing,

'Not good' simply means 'bad' as 'not easy' means 'difficult'. 'No good' is used in expressions like these: 'It is no good complaining', 'It is no good trying to win' in other words it is a waste of time/there is no point in complaining/trying to win.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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Minor Thing · #3 (permalink) Fri Mar 26, 2004 18:16 pm *No good part of idiom?*

Hi Alan,

So 'no good' is more or less part of an idiom and 'not good' is simply the opposite of 'good'. Is that right?

Linh Bui Hoang · #4 (permalink) Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:16 am *No good vs Not good*

Yeah, I think "no good" means helpless, useless

Alan · #5 (permalink) Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:47 am *No good vs Not good*

Hi,

Yes, that's right. If for example you give someone a problem and ask them to find a solution. After a short time the other person could say: I give up. It's no good I can't help you, I'm afraid.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
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