minor miracle

plural minor miracles

1. idiomaticAn improbable, unexpected, or surprising achievement or other occurrence that is fortunate and agreeable.

   The country's telephone service, however, is another matter. Getting a dial tone and holding a conversation free of static are minor miracles.

   1998 March 8, Clifford Krauss, “Dialing for Dollars in Brazil's Telephone Privatization”, in New York Times, retrieved 04 Aug 2016

   4 more examples

   When the vessel showed some symptoms of unsteadiness, I arose, walked gravely up to her, ranged the pilgrims around her with their shoulders to the sides, and told them to heave with might. . . . Each Maghrabi worked like an Atlas . . . and, sliding heavily through the sand, once more floated off into deep water. This was generally voted a minor miracle, and the Effendi was respected—for a day or two.

   1874, Sir Richard Francis Burton, Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, Volume 1, page 193

   Last week over a CBS network Robert Ripley reunited after 40 years a mother and her long-lost son. Having accomplished this minor miracle, Ripley changed the pace of his Believe It Or Not show.

   1940 September 30, “Radio: Believers in Fur”, in Time, retrieved 04 Aug 2016

   The engineers at AMC have wrought a minor miracle in modifying this archaic transmission so that it is merely inconvenient instead of being an outright disappointment.

   1970 January, “AMC Javelin 390 SST”, in Car and Driver, retrieved 04 Aug 2016

   Richard Dunwoody . . . did however perform one minor miracle; managing to eat a bowl of cereal on horseback while looking at the camera and still finding his mouth with the spoon without spillage.

   2009 March 30, Marcus Armytage, “Racing Diary”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 04 Aug 2016

   Synonyms: small miracle