buggering up
Making a mess
Buggering up is British slang for ruining or botching something: Who's been buggering up the printer?
The phrase derives from bugger, itself vulgar, but buggering up is mild enough for casual speech.
Americans would say screwing up or fucking up.
- cock-upBritish term for mistake
- screw-upHabitual mistake-maker
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- making a hash ofSpoiling through mishandling
- recklessnessCareless disregard for danger
ruin · mess-up · snafu · wreck · misstep · inattentiveness · flub · bodge · goof-up · balls-up · botch · bungle · harm · irresponsibility · sloppiness · oversight · going pear-shaped · slip-up
quality of outcome
buggering upfixing
Restoring proper function
repairing · mending · improving · correcting · rectifying
competence/execution
buggering upnailing it
Achieving flawless execution
getting it right · nailing · acing · pulling off · succeeding