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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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English idioms related to Failure
to make a pig's ear of something

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

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Definition & Meaning of \"to [make] a pig's ear of {sth}\"
the buck stop here

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

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Definition & Meaning of \"the buck [stop] (here|there)\"
to play into one's hands

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

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to bring a knife to a gunfight

to be inadequately prepared for a conflict or challenging situation

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more holes than Swiss cheese

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

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Himalayan blunder

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

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to overshoot the mark

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

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false move

a reckless action that may result in serious consequences or failure

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slip of the tongue

an accidental and minor mistake made while speaking

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Definition & Meaning of \"[slip] of the tongue\"
like turkeys voting for Christmas

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

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to bring something to a grinding halt

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

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Definition & Meaning of \"to [bring] {sth} to a grinding halt\"
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