What is the etymology of the expression "so far, so good"?


What is the etymology of the expression "so far, so good"?
Why is the meaning of "so far" in that phrase different from the meaning it has in "it's so far"?



Answer



This is an older meaning of "so" that used to be very common in English but has fallen out of use, where "so" means "in this manner/condition". We still use it when we say things like "you do it like so", "just-so story", "it was so long (and you gesture with your hands to indicate out long)". Actually, the first three entries in dictionary.com seem to convey this meaning.


So, the "so far" part means "up to now" and the "so good" part means "it is good in this manner/condition".


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