Failure - Mistakes & Poor Performance

Discover how English idioms like "more holes than Swiss cheese" and "slip of the tongue" relate to mistakes and poor performances in English.

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to [make] a pig's ear of {sth} [phrase]

to perform a task or activity very poorly, resulting in a negative outcome

Ex:

the buck [stop] (here|there) [sentence]

used to say that someone has accepted the responsibility or blame for something and will not pass it to someone else

Ex: Throughout his career , he has always taken the approach that the buck stops here - he takes responsibility for his own decisions and actions .

to [play] (into|in) {one's} hands [phrase]

to unintentionally give an advantage to one's enemy or rival

Ex: The other team 's mistakes are playing into our hands , and we 're gaining the advantage .

to [bring] a knife to a gunfight [phrase]

to be inadequately prepared for a conflict or challenging situation

Ex: If you think you can win this argument with just your opinion , you 're bringing a knife to a gunfight .

more holes than Swiss cheese [phrase]

used to say that something or someone has many flaws, problems, or gaps that make it incomplete or unreliable

Ex:

Himalayan blunder [noun]

a major mistake or error, often made by someone in power, that leads to catastrophic consequences

Ex:

to [overshoot] the mark [phrase]

to make a mistake, particularly in judging the amount of something

Ex: I overshot the mark and added too much salt to the recipe.

false [move] [noun]

a reckless action that may result in serious consequences or failure

Ex:

[slip] of the tongue [phrase]

an accidental and minor mistake made while speaking

Ex: The politician 's many slips of the tongue have made him a liability for his party .

like turkeys voting for Christmas [phrase]

used to refer to a situation where individuals or groups unknowingly support or participate in something that will ultimately bring harm or negative consequences to themselves

Ex: The customers who keep buying from that company are like turkeys voting for Christmas ; they 're supporting a business that does n't have their best interests in mind .

to [bring] {sth} to a grinding halt [phrase]

to cause something to suddenly and completely stop, often in a dramatic or unexpected manner

Ex: The pandemic has brought the tourism industry to a grinding halt in many countries .

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