Meaning: To make a mistake.
Examples:
Sorry, I dropped the ball. It won’t happen again.
I really dropped the ball this time – I forgot my husband’s birthday!
If you keep dropping the ball you’re going to lose your job.
Pop Quiz:
Which of the following are examples of dropping the ball?
A. Forgetting to pay your electricity bill, which results in your power being cut off.
B. Showing up late to a job interview.
C. Misspelling many words in an important business letter.
To see the correct answer, click on “Continue reading”:
A, B, and C are all correct! They’re all examples of mistakes.
I have been familiar with the idiom ‘Drop the Ball’ since I was a young child. It’s a phrase that my parents and grandparents used to teach me about responsibility. The phrase means to fail to do something that you were supposed to do, r to mess up a task that you were in charge of. I’ve seen the phrase used in a variety of contexts, from sports to business. At its core, the phrase is about someone not living up to an expected level of performance. Throughout my life, I’ve seen people ‘drop the ball’ in situations ranging from small tasks to huge projects. I’ve also seen people take responsibility for their failures and learn from their mistakes.