pattern

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.

Review

Flashcards

Quiz

Start learning
English idioms related to Failure
to [make] a pig's ear of {sth}

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

Ex: He made a pig's ear of the presentation and lost the client. 
Close
Sign in
the buck [stop] (here|there)

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

Ex: As manager, I know the buck stops here. 
Close
Sign in
to [play] (into|in) {one's} hands

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

Ex: By reacting angrily, he played right into his opponent's hands. 
Close
Sign in
to [bring] a knife to a gunfight

to be inadequately prepared for a conflict or challenging situation

Ex: Going into that debate without facts was like bringing a knife to a gunfight. 
Close
Sign in
more holes than Swiss cheese

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

Ex: His argument had more holes than Swiss cheese. 
Close
Sign in
Himalayan blunder

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

Ex: The minister's decision turned out to be a Himalayan blunder. 
Close
Sign in
to [overshoot] the mark

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

Ex: We overshot the mark and ordered twice as much food as we needed. 
Close
Sign in
false [move]

a reckless action that may result in serious consequences or failure

Ex: One false move could ruin the entire negotiation. 
Close
Sign in
[slip] of the tongue

an accidental and minor mistake made while speaking

Ex: Calling her by the wrong name was just a slip of the tongue. 
Close
Sign in
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

Ex: Workers supporting those cuts are like turkeys voting for Christmas. 
Close
Sign in
to [bring] {sth} to a grinding halt

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

Ex: The power outage brought the entire factory to a grinding halt. 
Close
Sign in
to [drop] the ball

to make a mistake or fail to do what is expected

Ex: He dropped the ball by missing the deadline. 
Close
Sign in
to [miss] the forest for the trees

to focus too much on small details and miss the bigger picture

Ex: Don't miss the forest for the trees during the review. 
Close
Sign in
to [miss] the mark

to fail in achieving the desired result

Ex: Her speech missed the mark and failed to generate the public support she had been hoping for. 
Close
Sign in
to [fall] short of {sth}

to fail to reach a specified amount or standard

Ex: I fell short of my target last month. 
Close
Sign in
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app