amateur hour
Bungled performance time
Amateur hour is a time or situation marked by incompetence, poor organization, or unprofessional behavior.
The phrase comes from talent shows featuring nonprofessional performers, but now it's almost always dismissive: This project has been amateur hour from the start.
It suggests that people who should know better are bungling the job.
Inexperienced newcomer to field
- rookieInexperienced newcomer
- greenhornInexperienced, gullible newcomer
- neophyteInexperienced beginner
- beginnerOne who lacks experience
fledgling · newbie · untrained · unseasoned · unskilled · unschooled · raw · naive
Mishandling through incompetence
- ineptLacking skill or competence
- shoddyOf poor craftsmanship
- sloppyCareless and untidy
- fumbleHandle with clumsy fingers
blunder · botch · hackwork · amateurish · subpar · unpolished · haphazard · careless
Lacking readiness beforehand
- unreliableNot consistently performing
- unqualifiedLacking required credentials
- undisciplinedLacking self-control or order
- disorganizedLacking systematic arrangement
improvised · uncoordinated · unsystematic · inefficient · half-baked · rinky-dink · bush league · minor league
novice
Inexperienced newcomer to field
beginner · fledgling · newbie · untrained · unseasoned · unskilled · unschooled · raw · naive · learning curve
bungling
Mishandling through incompetence
fumble · blunder · botch · hackwork · amateurish · subpar · unpolished · haphazard · careless · ham-handed
unprepared
Lacking readiness beforehand
- unreliableNot consistently performing
- unqualifiedLacking required credentials
- undisciplinedLacking self-control or order
disorganized · improvised · uncoordinated · unsystematic · inefficient · half-baked · rinky-dink · bush league · minor league · second-rate
- amateurhobbyist, dilettante, nonprofessional, novice, beginner
- shoddinessslipshod, slapdash, hack job, botch job, botch
- unpreparednessunpreparedness, unreadiness, unpracticed, untrained, inexperience
- competitionscontests, tournaments, match, matches, game
- hoursone o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock, five o'clock
- Incompetencebungle, failure, botch, inability, blunder
amateur hourprofessional standards
Expected conduct in occupations
professionalism · world-class · masterclass · top-tier · A-game
amateur hourtour de force
Exceptional feat of skill
masterpiece · virtuoso performance · flawless execution · excellence · perfection
amateur hourprime time
Evening TV's busiest window
heavyweight · no joke · the show · playing for keeps · high stakes