idiom

[jctgf]

hi,

is there an idiom in English that expresses the idea of failing completely when trying to accomplish something?

thanks,
jc

[Deborah ESL]

Hi JC

the closest idiom in meaning I can find is,

Back to square one - means to not succeed in something one was trying to do and having to start all over again.

" They were not successful in their efforts to raise money for a new hospital wing. Now they are back to square one."

Deborah ESL Tutor

[baqarah131]

There are many, many.

He fell flat on his face.
He crashed and burned.
He bombed.
He made a mess of it.
He tried, but it was a total fiasco.

Any of these expression would need some context to make sense. Like most idioms you'll hear, they are informal.

"He screwed up" is pretty well accepted nowadays in Canada, I don't know whether it's safe to use this expression in other parts of the world; some might consider it vulgar.

These are the first ones that come to my mind. I hope others will provide more, especially British expressions.

edward

hi,

is there an idiom in English that expresses the idea of failing completely when trying to accomplish something?

thanks,
jc

[jctgf]

There are many, many.

He fell flat on his face.
He crashed and burned.
He bombed.
He made a mess of it.
He tried, but it was a total fiasco.

Any of these expression would need some context to make sense. Like most idioms you'll hear, they are informal.

"He screwed up" is pretty well accepted nowadays in Canada, I don't know whether it's safe to use this expression in other parts of the world; some might consider it vulgar.

These are the first ones that come to my mind. I hope others will provide more, especially British expressions.

edward

hi,

"He fell flat on his face." is almost a perfect translation of an idiom we have in Portuguese. is it safe and nice (non-aggressive) to use?


thanks,
jc

[baqarah131]

"He fell flat on his face" is not something you'd use by itself. You'd be telling a story or explaining a situation. Whether the expression is rude or aggressive depends on the context. But I think it's normally a bit scornful. Certainly it's informal, colloquial.
regards
edward

[MrPedantic]

An idiom for informal contexts is "he made a complete pig's ear of it".

Such a situation could also be described as one of "abject failure".

MrP

[baqarah131]

This expression is new to me, though I have heard the sarcastic reply "in a pig's ear", meaning "I don't believe you."
I like the idea of specifying that your first language is British English. I'll see if I can modify my profile to flag my English as North American. There are, of course, many differences.
regards during this holiday season
edward

An idiom for informal contexts is "he made a complete pig's ear of it".

Such a situation could also be described as one of "abject failure".

MrP

[amigos4]

This expression is new to me, though I have heard the sarcastic reply "in a pig's ear", meaning "I don't believe you."
I like the idea of specifying that your first language is British English. I'll see if I can modify my profile to flag my English as North American. There are, of course, many differences.
regards during this holiday season
edward

Edward, I like your suggestion about including 'North American English' in your online profile. I just changed my profile! Thanks for the suggestion!

Cheers,
Amigos4

[amigos4]

Edward, I like your suggestion about including 'North American English' in your online profile. I just changed my profile! Thanks for the suggestion!

Cheers,
Amigos4

Edward, I also added my home city. My Tucson accent is much different than the Boston accent that I developed as a child!

Cheers,
Amigos4

[baqarah131]

Good point.
Other than Newfoundland, I think Canadian English is fairly uniform. I can think of only minor differences between Vancouver, where I grew up, the prairies, where I lived as an adult, and Ontario, where I've lived the last seven years.
I'd be interested to know if you agree that Canadian English is fairly uniform.

happy new year
edward

Edward, I also added my home city. My Tucson accent is much different than the Boston accent that I developed as a child!

Cheers,
Amigos4