cocking up
Making a mess
Cocking up is British slang for making a mess of something, bungling or botching a task: I really cocked up the presentation.
The noun cock-up refers to the resulting mistake or failure: The whole project was a complete cock-up.
Despite the vulgar associations of cock, this expression is relatively mild.
- fumbleHandle with clumsy fingers
- mistakeWrong action or decision
- miscalculationError in estimation
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- errorFault in communication
incompetence · botch · bungling · misjudgment · messing up · making a mess · blowing it · failure · hash · embarrassment · slip-up · bodging · negligence · dropping the ball · flubbing · screwing up · screw-up · misunderstanding
cocking upsucceeding
Attaining aims or following
nailing it · getting it right · acing · accomplishing · delivering
cocking updotting the i's and crossing the t's
Ensuring complete thoroughness
cocking upsorting out
Resolving confusion or disorder
fixing · putting right · tidying up · setting straight · rectifying
cock, cocks, cocked, cocking, cocker, cocky, cockiness, cock-up, cock-ups