How do you use "Cock-up" in a sentence?

There's been a complete cock-up with the booking. I cocked up the presentation. What a cock-up!

Cock-up

Q: What does "Cock-up" mean?

A mistake or blunder; to make a mess of something. A significant mistake or failure to do something properly. Very common British expression for things going wrong.

Slang Term BritishAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: A mistake or blunder; to make a mess of something.

搞砸，大错误

metedura de pata, cagada

大失敗、へま

큰 실수, 엉망진창; 일을 망치다

A significant mistake or failure to do something properly. Very common British expression for things going wrong.

严重的错误或把事情搞砸。英国非常常见的表达，用于事情出错的时候。

Un error significativo o no hacer algo correctamente. Expresión británica muy común para cuando las cosas salen mal.

重大なミスや、何かをちゃんとできなかったこと。イギリスで物事がうまくいかない時によく使われる表現。

어떤 일을 제대로 하지 못한 심각한 실수나 실패. 일이 잘못됐을 때 쓰는 매우 흔한 영국식 표현.

Literal meaning: Messed up (origin disputed)

Examples

There's been a complete cock-up with the booking.
预订完全搞砸了
Ha habido una cagada total con la reserva
予約が完全にめちゃくちゃになった
예약이 완전히 엉망이 됐어.
I cocked up the presentation.
我把演讲搞砸了
La cagué con la presentación
プレゼンを台無しにしてしまった
프레젠테이션을 망쳐버렸어.
What a cock-up!
真是一团糟！
¡Menuda cagada!
なんてへまだ！
정말 엉망이야!

Pronunciation

/ˈkɒk ʌp/

Usage Guide

Context: mistake, failure, blunder

Tone: frustrated, self-deprecating

✓ Do Say

Total cock-up.
完全搞砸了
Un desastre total
完全にやらかした
완전 엉망이야.
I cocked it up.
我搞砸了
La he pifiado
しくじっちゃったよ
내가 망쳤어.
What a cock-up!
搞什么鬼！
¡Vaya metedura de pata!
なんてヘマだ！
정말 엉망이야!

✗ Don't Say

Big mistake
大错误
Gran error
大きなミス
큰 실수
Messed up
搞砸了
Lo estropeé
失敗した
망쳤어

Common Mistakes

Slightly crude but widely used
Not as rude as it might sound to Americans

Origin & History

Possibly from typesetting (cocked up letters) or military.

Etymology: British slang

First recorded: 20th century

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: British comedy; British workplace

Regional notes: Very British—Americans might find it crude.

Variations

Cock-upCock it upCocked up