slip-up
noun
Slip-up — a small, unintentional error noticed in speech or routine action
Definition
A minor inadvertent mistake usually observed in speech or writing or in small accidents or memory lapses etc.
In depth
A slip-up is a minor, inadvertent mistake, typically observed in speech, writing, or small everyday accidents, the word carrying a forgiving, casual tone that distinguishes it from more serious errors of judgment. The phrase suggests an innocent stumble rather than a significant failing, the kind of small misstep that happens to anyone without much consequence.
Origin
The phrase combines 'slip,' from Middle Low German slippen, to slide, with 'up,' an intensifying particle common in informal English compounds. The underlying image of sliding or losing one's footing momentarily, rather than falling completely, gives the phrase its inherently minor, easily forgiven quality.
Usage examples
"Her slip-up during the live broadcast became, much to her embarrassment, an unexpectedly popular internet clip."
"He brushed off the slip-up with a self-deprecating laugh, hardly bothered by such a minor mistake."
"The recipe's success depended on careful timing, where even a small slip-up could ruin an otherwise perfect dish."
How to use it
Slip-up is casual, forgiving vocabulary suited to describing minor, inconsequential errors, particularly common in everyday conversation and lighthearted narrative, distinctly gentler in tone than more serious words like 'blunder' or 'fuckup.'
Related concepts
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