second-rateness

Potterites at play -- mediocrity, second-rateness, humbug, muddle, cant, cheap stunts -- the room was full of it all.

Potterism A Tragi-Farcical Tract Rose Macaulay 1919

Recognizing Mr. Galsworthy's genius for the realistic representation of men and women, it must not be blinded by that genius to the essential second-rateness and sentimentality of much of his presentation of ideas.

The Art of Letters Robert Lynd 1914

The luke-warm equable temperament, the narrowness of sympathy and passion, the fondness for mechanical forms of thought, the imperfect receptivity and lack of interest in facts as such, dissevered from their possible connection with a theory; nay, the very vividness itself, the keenness of scent and the pertinacity; these all are qualities which may easily make for second-rateness, and for contentment with a cheap and loosely woven achievement.

Memories and Studies William James 1876

It is because she cherishes so many vital ideals, yet makes a scale of value among them; so that even her apparently incurable second-rateness (or only occasional first-rateness) in intercollegiate athletics comes from her seeing so well that sport is but sport, that victory over Yale is not the whole of the law and the prophets, and that a popgun is not the crack of doom.

Memories and Studies William James 1876

Perhaps the fact that we are on the look-out for great men, and complaining because we cannot find them, is the best proof of our second-rateness; I do not imagine that the Elizabethan writers were much concerned with thinking whether they were great or not; they were much more occupied in having a splendid time, and in saying as eagerly as they could all the delightful thoughts which came crowding to the utterance, than in pondering whether they were worthy of admiration.

At Large Arthur Christopher Benson 1893

All the others spoke in a low voice.) “Let Russia be condemned to second-rateness, but we can still work and not for Russia alone.

A Raw Youth 2003