drop the ball en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
An allusion to the rules of such games as baseball, American football or cricket wherein literally dropping the ball would be a mistake.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.
The movie ought to sputter out here, but Crowe and Cruise don't drop the ball.
1996 Dec. 13, Peter Stack, "Tom and ‘Jerry’ Make a Great Team" (film review of Jerry Maguire), San Francisco Chronicle (retrieved 21 Sept 2013)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see drop, ball.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dropping the ball | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| drops the ball | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| dropped the ball | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| dropped the ball | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Relateds
take one's eye off the ball · fumble
Synonyms
fall on one's face · screw the pooch · fuck up
Translations (16)
pl schrzanić (fail in one’s responsibilities) · pl spieprzyć (fail in one’s responsibilities) · fi kusta (fail in one’s responsibilities) · pl zawalać (fail in one’s responsibilities) · fi munata (fail in one’s responsibilities) · pl spartaczyć (fail in one’s responsibilities) · pl spieprzać (fail in one’s responsibilities) · pl schrzaniać (fail in one’s responsibilities) · pl zawalić (fail in one’s responsibilities) · pt pisar na bola (fail in one’s responsibilities) · es meter la pata (fail in one’s responsibilities) · pl partaczyć (fail in one’s responsibilities) · es equivocarse (fail in one’s responsibilities) · fi tunaroida (fail in one’s responsibilities) · nl een steek laten vallen (fail in one’s responsibilities) · fi mokata (fail in one’s responsibilities)