cock up
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb (transitive, informal, chiefly British):
- To make a mess of; to bungle or spoil something completely: This is the primary meaning, indicating a significant error or failure in execution.
- To raise or erect something, especially abruptly: A less common, more literal meaning related to lifting or tilting upwards.
Usage and Examples
Verb (to bungle):
- I completely cocked up the presentation by forgetting my notes. (I ruined the presentation by forgetting my notes.)
- Be careful not to cock up the reservations for the hotel. (Be careful not to mess up the hotel reservations.)
Verb (to raise):
- The horse cocked up its ears at the strange sound. (The horse raised its ears at the strange sound.)
- He cocked up his head to get a better view. (He tilted his head up to get a better view.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often considered vulgar or mildly offensive due to its etymology. It is more common in British English than in American English.
- It is frequently used in the passive voice to describe a situation.
- The entire project was cocked up from the start. (The entire project was mismanaged from the beginning.)
Variants and Related Words
- Cock-up (noun): A mistake or blunder.
- The missing files were a serious cock-up. (The missing files were a serious mistake.)
Synonyms
- Botch: To carry out a task badly or carelessly.
- Mishandle: To manage or deal with something incorrectly or ineffectively.
- Foul up (verb, informal): To make a mistake or cause something to fail.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Screw up (verb, informal): To make a mistake or mess something up. This is a very close synonym, more common in American English.
- I hope I don't screw up this interview. (I hope I don't ruin this interview.)
Related Idioms
- Make a hash of something (idiom): To do something very badly.
- I made a real hash of explaining the rules. (I did a very poor job of explaining the rules.)
Verb
- raise
- The dog pricked up his ears