Drop the ball
English Idiom
Meaning: Failing to do something that you were responsible for, often due to carelessness or lack of attention. It's when someone makes a mistake or mishandles a task, leading to negative consequences.
Origin: The idiom 'Drop the ball' originates from sports, particularly baseball and football, where dropping the ball means failing to catch it, leading to a missed opportunity or mistake. Over time, it has been adopted into everyday language to describe any kind of failure or mistake.
Examples
-
During the critical meeting, Jane dropped the ball by forgetting to bring the financial reports.
-
The project was delayed because Tom dropped the ball on submitting the necessary documents.
-
She dropped the ball when she missed the deadline for the college application.
-
Despite preparing thoroughly, he dropped the ball during the final presentation by skipping a crucial section.
-
The company dropped the ball on customer service, resulting in a significant loss of clients.
-
He dropped the ball on his promise to help with the charity event, leaving everyone scrambling to cover his tasks.
-
The team dropped the ball during the playoff game, leading to their unexpected defeat.
-
She felt terrible after dropping the ball on her best friend's birthday, forgetting to send a gift.
-
The software update was postponed because the development team dropped the ball on testing.
-
Even seasoned professionals can drop the ball, as seen when the CEO forgot to address a key issue during the conference.
