foul-up
noun
Foul-up — a mistake that thoroughly disrupts an otherwise orderly process
Definition
An embarrassing mistake
In depth
A foul-up is an embarrassing mistake, particularly one that disrupts an otherwise orderly process or plan, leaving confusion or disorder in its wake. The word carries a slightly more chaotic connotation than 'blunder,' implying that the error tangled or disrupted something that had been functioning smoothly before the mistake occurred.
Origin
The phrase combines 'foul,' from Old English ful, dirty or offensive, with 'up,' an intensifying particle. Its association with disruption and disorder, rather than mere error, reflects the word's broader sense of fouling or dirtying a previously clean, smoothly functioning process, leaving tangled confusion in its wake.
Usage examples
"The scheduling foul-up left half the staff showing up for a meeting that had actually been moved to a different day entirely."
"Military operations are planned with extensive contingencies, knowing that some foul-up is nearly inevitable."
"The foul-up at the printing plant delayed the entire publication by nearly a week."
How to use it
Foul-up is informal, accessible vocabulary common in everyday and business writing, particularly suited to describing errors that create disorder or confusion within a previously organized process or system.
Related concepts
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