cockup
noun
Cockup — blunt British slang naming a situation gone badly wrong
Definition
Something badly botched or muddled
In depth
A cockup is something badly botched or muddled, another vivid, mildly vulgar British colloquialism closely related to 'balls-up,' describing a comprehensively mishandled situation or task. The word carries similar emphatic, informal force, widely used throughout British English to describe failures both minor and significant.
Origin
The word's exact origin is debated, possibly related to an older sense of 'cocking up,' meaning to tilt or set something at an improper, careless angle, though its phonetic similarity to other vulgar slang terms has reinforced its emphatic, colorful character regardless of precise etymological origin.
Usage examples
"The catering arrangements turned into a complete cockup, with half the expected food never actually arriving."
"She described the whole affair, with characteristic British understatement, as rather a cockup."
"Investigators were tasked with determining exactly how such a serious cockup had managed to occur in the first place."
How to use it
Cockup is informal, mildly vulgar British slang, common in casual British, Irish, and Australian English, though writers should be aware that the term's vulgarity makes it inappropriate for formal or American professional writing.
Related concepts
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