Mistakes & Poor Performance: English Vocabulary List

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

"He made a pig's ear."

"She made a complete pig's ear of the presentation and confused everyone in the room."

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

"The buck stops here."

"The manager informed his team that he would take full responsibility, stating that the buck stopped with him."

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

"Your anger is playing into his hands."

"By losing his temper he played into his opponent's hands and made himself look foolish."

to be inadequately prepared for a conflict or challenging situation

"Do not bring a knife to a gunfight."

"Bringing outdated equipment to compete with modern technology is like bringing a knife to a gunfight."

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

"His alibi has more holes than Swiss cheese."

"The suspect's alibi had more holes than Swiss cheese and the jury did not believe a word of it."

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

"The decision was a Himalayan blunder."

"The decision was a Himalayan blunder and cost the company millions of dollars in lost revenue."

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

"He overshot the mark."

"The chef overshot the mark with the amount of salt he added to the soup."

a reckless action that may result in serious consequences or failure

"The chess player made a false move."

"The chess player made a false move and immediately realized it would cost him the game."

an accidental and minor mistake made while speaking

"It was a slip of tongue."

"The embarrassing slip of the tongue during the speech made everyone laugh unexpectedly."

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

"That would be like turkeys voting for Christmas."

"The workers agreeing to a pay cut would be like turkeys voting for Christmas absolutely ridiculous."

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

"The storm brought traffic to a grinding halt."

"The blizzard brought traffic to a grinding halt and many drivers were stuck on the roads for hours."

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

"You will overshoot the mark."

"The inexperienced climber, failing to accurately gauge the distance, was in danger of overshooting the mark and falling short of the ledge."