verbal gaffe
Foot in mouth
A verbal gaffe is a spoken mistake that causes embarrassment or offense—a slip of the tongue, an awkward phrasing, or an unintended admission.
Politicians are especially prone to verbal gaffes that get replayed endlessly: His verbal gaffe about the economy dominated the news cycle.
The term implies the error was unintentional but revealing.
- slipMinor error or misstep
- slip of the tongueUnintended verbal error
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- misspeakExpress oneself incorrectly
- faux pasSocial misstep or indiscretion
blooper · stumble · flub · oops · embarrassment · politician · microphone · interview · press conference · apology · public apology · cringe · awkward · tongue · mistake · botch · bungle · rambling
- verbal blundersslip, foot-in-mouth, blabbing, loose talk
- speech errorsslip of the tongue, mispronunciation, malapropism, malapropisms, spoonerism
verbal gaffeeloquent speech
Articulate, powerful discourse
verbal dexterity · mot juste · bon mot · diplomatic language · smooth talking
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