Definition

Noun: 1. A serious mistake or blunder; a situation that has been badly handled or mismanaged, resulting in confusion or failure. This word refers to a significant error or a mess caused by incompetence or poor planning.

Usage

• This word is a noun and is typically used in informal or colloquial contexts.
• It is often used to describe a situation that has gone wrong due to human error.
• It can be used with verbs like "make," "be," or "cause."
• Note: This term is considered informal and mildly vulgar in some contexts. It is more common in British English.

Examples

• The event's scheduling was a complete cockup; nobody knew when or where to go.
• There's been a cockup with the hotel reservations, and they don't have a room for us.
• The new manager made a real cockup of the budget report.

Advanced Usage

• "to make a cockup of (something)": To handle something very badly; to botch a task.
  • He made a right cockup of fixing the sink; now it's leaking even more.

Variants and Related Words

• Cock up (verb, phrasal verb): To make a mistake or mess of something.
  • I'm afraid I've cocked up the travel arrangements.
• Botch (noun/verb): A clumsy or poor piece of work; to carry out a task badly.
• Fiasco (noun): A complete and embarrassing failure.

Synonyms

• Blunder
• Mess
• Foul-up
• Snafu (informal)
• Debacle

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Cock up (phrasal verb): As noted above, this is the verbal form meaning to make an error or spoil something.
  • Don't let him organize the meeting; he'll only cock it up.

Related Idioms

• A dog's breakfast: A mess; something done very badly. (Common in British English)
  • The presentation was a real dog's breakfast—a total cockup.

Noun

1. something badly botched or muddled