status quo

"They're describing the situation as status quo"
If status quo means: "the existing state or condition," then that sentence doesn't make sense altogether.
What's the situation really described as?

"status quo" in the above example means 'the way it usually is or normally would be', not necessarily the immediate state or condition, though that is the actual definition of the term

One also speaks of "maintaining the status quo".

Long live the quo!