miscasting

The director realized the miscasting of the lead role after the first rehearsal.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Inappropriate casting in a performance: "miscasting" refers to the act or result of assigning actors to roles for which they are unsuitable, either due to their appearance, skills, or other qualities.
   • Error in calculation: In accounting or finance, "miscasting" means an error made in adding up or totaling numbers, such as in a sum or ledger.

Usage Examples

• Noun (theatre/film):

  • The film's failure was largely due to the miscasting of the lead actor, who lacked the required emotional depth. (The actor was poorly chosen for the role.)
  • Miscasting can ruin an otherwise well-written play if the actors do not fit their characters. (The wrong selection of performers harms the production.)

• Noun (accounting):

  • The accountant discovered a miscasting in the quarterly report, where a column of figures was added incorrectly. (An error in summing numbers.)
  • A simple miscasting in the budget led to a significant discrepancy in the final balance. (A mistake in calculation.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be guilty of miscasting": to be responsible for choosing the wrong actor or making a calculation error.

  • The director was guilty of miscasting when she chose a comedian for the tragic role. (The director made a poor casting decision.)

• "miscasting of votes": a rare usage referring to errors in counting or assigning votes in an election.

  • The recount revealed a miscasting of votes, which changed the outcome of the election. (Votes were incorrectly tallied.)

Variants and Related Words

• Miscast (verb): to assign an unsuitable role to an actor, or to make an error in calculation.

  • The producer decided to miscast the lead, leading to poor reviews. (To assign a role poorly.)

• Casting (noun): the process of selecting actors for roles.

  • Casting is a crucial step in film production, and miscasting can be costly. (The selection process.)

Synonyms

• Misallocation: the act of assigning something (like a role) incorrectly.
• Misassignment: a specific synonym for miscasting in a theatrical context.
• Miscalculation: an error in arithmetic or judgment (for the accounting sense).

Related Idioms

• A square peg in a round hole: a person who is not suited for their position or role.

  • The actor was a square peg in a round hole in that historical drama; his miscasting was obvious. (He was completely unsuitable for the part.)

• To add up wrong: an informal phrase for making a calculation error.

  • The cashier added up wrong, leading to a miscasting in the day's totals. (The sum was incorrect.)