expression
neither good nor bad; so-so; passable
A set phrase used to describe something that is mediocre, unremarkable, or just acceptable. Often used in evaluations or reviews.
この映画は可もなく不可もなしという感じだった。
This movie was neither good nor bad, just so-so.
彼の成績は可もなく不可もなしだ。
His grades are passable, nothing special.
まあまあ is a more casual, everyday word for 'so-so' or 'okay', while 可もなく不可もなし is a more formal, idiomatic expression often used in written evaluations.
普通 means 'normal' or 'ordinary' and is a neutral descriptor, whereas 可もなく不可もなし explicitly conveys a lack of outstanding positive or negative qualities.
A set phrase combining 可 (good, acceptable) and 不可 (not good, unacceptable) with the structure 〜もなく〜もなし (neither ... nor ...). The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows a classical Chinese-influenced pattern of balanced negation.