MEME REFERENCE

At home

Use to compare a desired product, experience, or person with the visibly inferior substitute already available 'at home.'

What it expresses

A request for the appealing original is answered by an inadequate imitation presented as equivalent.

Example

You ask the team to buy a proper design tool, and someone points to a broken shared slide deck as 'the design tool at home.'

When not to use it

The home alternative is genuinely equal or better on the relevant qualities; calling it inferior would misrepresent the comparison.

• we have it at home
• inferior substitute
• knockoff
• comparison