all to the good

all to the good

Beneficial or positive (especially when the situation had seemed bad or problematic). I had to go home and change after spilling coffee on myself, but it was all to the good because I avoided a major traffic jam.See also: all, good

all to the good

for the best; to one's benefit. He missed the train, but it was all to the good because the train had a wreck. It was all to the good that he died without suffering.See also: all, good

all to the good

to be welcomed without qualification.See also: all, good

ˌall to the ˈgood

used to say that if something happens, it will be good, even if it is not exactly what you were expecting: ‘I’m afraid we’ve arrived a bit early.’ ‘Don’t worry. It’s all to the good. It means we can start the meeting earlier.’See also: all, good

all to the good

Largely an advantage. The term dates from the days when good was an accounting term that meant profit or worth, so that “all to the good” meant net profit. By the late nineteenth century the meaning had become much more general and the phrase a cliché.See also: all, good