lay an egg
Die on stage
To lay an egg is to fail conspicuously, especially in performance or comedy: The comedian laid an egg at the corporate event.
The phrase likely comes from British slang "duck's egg" for zero, from cricket scoring.
Despite the image of production, laying an egg means producing nothing of value—a joke that gets silence, a show that bombs.
Complete commercial failure
- bombExplosive device or disaster
- dudFailed device or effort
- turkeyWattled North American fowl
- fiascoHumiliating public failure
debacle · bust · clunker · misfire · washout · disaster · letdown · stinker
flop
Complete commercial failure
fiasco · debacle · bust · clunker · misfire · washout · disaster · letdown · stinker · lemon
bomb
Explosive device or disaster
silence · groaner · clunker · misfire · timing · heckler · flop sweat · tough crowd · deadpan · punchline
gaffe
Clumsy social error
snafu · error · miscalculation · oversight · slipup · fumble · goof · howler · miscue · screwup
lay an eggbring down the house
Elicit rapturous audience response
kill it · triumph · knock it out of the park · slay · crush it
lay an eggsucceed
Achieve a desired aim
hit a home run · ace it · deliver · come through · pull it off