using System;

using System.ComponentModel;

​

public class Program

{

    public static void Main(string[] commandString)

    {

        Console.WriteLine(Status.Bad.Description());

        Console.WriteLine(Status.Good.Description());

        Console.WriteLine(Status.Unknown.Description());

        Console.ReadLine();

    }

​

    public enum Status

    {

        [Description("no clue")]

        Unknown,

        [Description("Good!")]

        Good,

        [Description("Bad<angryface>")]

        Bad

    }

}

​

public static class EnumExt

{

    public static string Description<T>(this T source)where T : struct, IConvertible

    {

        if (!typeof (T).IsEnum)

        {

            throw new ArgumentException("T must be an enumerated type");

        }

​

        var fi = source.GetType().GetField(source.ToString());

        var attributes = (DescriptionAttribute[])fi.GetCustomAttributes(typeof (DescriptionAttribute), false);

        return attributes.Length > 0 ? attributes[0].Description : source.ToString();

    }

}