I am looking for an idiom/phrase which is used to describe the action of botching up a job when it is almost complete. A similar idiom in another foreign language is "to drown/wreck a boat when it is almost about to dock". It will be great to get some ideas.
Asked
Active
Viewed 111 times
0
-
@EdwinAshworth I think 2 of the answers from there are repeated here, but Hellion's answer is worth keeping it open or at least bridge. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Jul 20 '21 at 18:20
-
@Cascabel That answer is also there, but not a reference (which is hardly a problem in this case). I can't splice: you could flag a moderator. – Edwin Ashworth Jul 20 '21 at 18:26
-
Yes you are right, and I missed it..it was a one-liner with no reference. But doesn't that make this post better? – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Jul 20 '21 at 18:30
2 Answers
5
You could be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory:
(idiomatic) To suddenly lose a contest one seemed very likely to win, especially through mistakes or bad judgment.
from yourdictionary.com
While the definition refers particularly to a contest, it is applicable broadly to any situation where a positive outcome seems assured.
Hellion
- 59,365
2
Would Choking do?
In sports, choking is the failure of a person, or persons, to act or behave as anticipated or expected.1 This can occur in a game or tournament that they are strongly favoured to win, or in an instance where they have a large lead that they squander in the late stages of the event. It can also refer to repeated failures in the same event, or simply infer an unexpected failure when the event is more important than usual.
Wikipedia
Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
- 20,777
Pete
- 2,576
-
My source is linked. Thew word Choking is linked to Wiki, whicjh is the source of the quote. – Pete Jul 20 '21 at 18:02
-
We prefer not to go off-page to determine the validity of the source... – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Jul 20 '21 at 18:03
-
1Please review our Help Center's guidance on How to reference material written by others. Please also explain in your words why you think this is an answer to the question asked. Otherwise there is no original content here. – tchrist Jul 20 '21 at 19:14
-
I don't get what you're complaining about. As far as I can see, I linked to the original page, and quoted only the relevant portion in accordance with the guidelines. – Pete Jul 21 '21 at 13:47