Does "has a ways to go" mean "has a long way to go"?

[NewHopeR]

Context:

The product--initially developed through the Stanford University-based incubator program StartX--still has a ways to go, including building business models for hospital use, and won't actually launch until the fall. Right now, it's in beta-testing at five undisclosed healthcare facilities including a veterans' hospital, a university hospital and tertiary cancer center, Health 2.0 News reports.

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[charliedeut]

Hi,

ways to go | definition by Idiom Quest. So I would say "yes"

Greetings,

charliedeut

[emsr2d2]

Unless it's started to be used and I haven't noticed, we don't use this in BrE. We would have said "still has a long way to go" or "still has some way to go".

[NewHopeR]

If the writer said " has ways to go", it will be understandable. But he said " has a ways to go", however. It looks weird to put "a" before a plural form (ways).

[emsr2d2]

If the writer said " has ways to go", it will be understandable. But he said " has a ways to go", however. It looks weird to put "a" before a plural form (ways).

You're right that it sounds odd, and I can't explain it, but I have become very used to hearing "a ways to go" used in AmE. I've certainly never heard it used without the indefinite article.