The phrase 'something of a bust' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation that has been unsuccessful, or that has not gone according to plan. For example: "The party was something of a bust - nobody showed up!".
College was something of a bust.
The psychological study of happiness might seem to be something of a bust.
The won ton skins were something of a bust, though he only boiled them.
The installation in Washington, in a choppy string of lobby galleries, was something of a bust.
Nor does the tour appear to have been a financial success, and Mr. Hoyt's research, he said, helps nail down that it was indeed something of a bust.
North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on Oct. 9, 2006, which was considered something of a bust by South Korean and American officials.
Over the years, this sort of uncertainty has created something of a boom-bust cycle for wind power, which is constantly gaining and losing ground as the tax credit is given and then later taken away.
Britain has been something of a boom-and-bust story for humans over the last million-or-so years.
Since bonds from sickly borrowers are already trading below par and creditors recover something in a bust, this translates into a 1.4% loss of principal.
As an abuse survivor and free agent, Harley has become something of a feminist icon — magazines like Bust have praised her complexity, smarts and subversive sexuality — even as she revels in her own bouts of sadistic fun.
But the 2008 real estate bust was something of a boon for downtown reinvestment, and now people linger to enjoy coffee bars, pubs and restaurants linked by the metro light rail.
