shitting the bed
Failing under pressure
Shitting the bed is a vulgar expression meaning to fail spectacularly or make a catastrophic mistake, especially at a crucial moment.
The phrase evokes the loss of bodily control associated with extreme illness or death, suggesting a failure so complete it's almost involuntary.
The team was favored to win but completely shit the bed in the finals.
It's used across contexts from sports collapses to business disasters to personal screwups, always implying a dramatic, embarrassing breakdown.
- messDisorderly, troublesome condition
- bumblingClumsily incompetent
- mistakeWrong action or decision
- high stakesSignificant potential for loss
- crash and burnFail completely and visibly
total disaster · blunder · shame · foul · public scrutiny · blow it · face plant · choke · failure · mishap · panic · nervous breakdown · performance anxiety · under pressure · screw-up · sheets · embarrassment · botch
shitting the bednailing it
Achieving flawless execution
crushing it · killing it · rising to the occasion · coming through · sticking the landing
shitting the bedclutch performance
Success under intense pressure
keeping it together · keeping one's cool · holding it together · stepping up · grace under pressure