Failure - Defamation & Unpopularity

Explore English idioms regarding defamation and unpopularity with examples like "nine day wonder" and "fall from grace".

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to [drag] {one's} name through the (mud|mire) [phrase]

to make unfavorable remarks about someone

Ex: She drags his name through the mud by spreading rumors about him .

dirt on {sb} [phrase]

the action of publishing or spreading unpleasant details about someone's private life in order to negatively impact the public's opinion of them

Ex: She dug up some dirt on him and used it to ruin his chances of getting the job .

dirty (linen|laundry) [phrase]

one's personal matters that if shared with others could make one embarrassed or ashamed

Ex: The company 's financial troubles have been aired in the media , and now everyone knows their dirty linen .

nine day wonder [phrase]

something that receives a lot of attention for a short time, but is soon forgotten

Ex:

to [fall] from grace [phrase]

to lose favor, respect, or a position of high regard due to a significant mistake, scandal, or failure

Ex: The politician 's corruption scandal resulted in a swift and public fall from grace , tarnishing their previously pristine reputation .

to [lay] a glove on {sb/sth} [phrase]

to cause a loss of respect or reputation for a person or thing

Ex: The opposing team could n't lay a glove on the star player , who scored all three goals in the match .

to [lose] face [phrase]

to do something that causes others to have less respect for one

Ex: The company lost face when their highly publicized product launch failed to meet expectations .

loss of face [phrase]

the state of losing all the respect others had for one because of one's actions

Ex: The company experienced a significant loss of face after their product failed to meet quality standards and caused customer complaints .

{one's} name [is] mud [sentence]

used when one says or does something that makes one disgraced or discredited

Ex: After the embezzlement scandal, the accountant's name was mud among their former colleagues and clients.

out of season [phrase]

used to refer to something is not currently appropriate, popular, or available due to being outside of its usual time or season

Ex: The restaurant was serving pumpkin spice lattes in May , which were out of season and not on the menu .

to [get] the bird [phrase]

to be subjected to disapproval, rejection, or criticism from others, often through booing

Ex: The comedian 's offensive jokes caused them to get the bird from the audience , who began booing and hissing loudly .

to [blot] {one's} copybook [phrase]

to make a mistake that brings about a negative consequence

Ex: I fear I have already blotted my copybook by failing my last exam .

to [pick] holes in {sth} [phrase]

to find the flaws and weaknesses of something, like a plan, action, or idea

Ex: The editor picked holes in the manuscript , pointing out every mistake and inconsistency .

to [make] an ass (out|) of {sb} [phrase]

to make someone appear foolish or ridiculous in front of others

Ex: He 's constantly bragging about his accomplishments , and it 's making an ass out of him .

to [put|have] {one's} [head|neck] on the block [phrase]

to take a particular course of action that endangers one's reputation or position

Ex: If he decides to confront the boss about his unfair treatment , he 'll be having his neck on the block .

to [make] an exhibition of {oneself} [phrase]

to behave in an embarrassing or foolish manner in front of other people, in a way that that makes them mock one

Ex: She always makes an exhibition of herself by singing loudly in the office .

black eye [noun]

a negative perception of someone or something

Ex: The team 's loss in the championship game was a black eye for their otherwise successful season .

Failure
Resulting in Failure	Experiencing Failure	Lost in the Game	Wastefulness
Fruitlessness	Deterioration	Defamation & Unpopularity	Defeat
Game Over	Lose or Win	Mistakes & Poor Performance