Drop the Ball

Drop the Ball

Welcome to English in a Minute!

Many American English idioms come from popular U.S. sports, like baseball, basketball and football.

Drop the ball

Anna, what’s wrong? You look upset.

I really dropped the ball.

I forgot my great-aunt was coming to town, and I was supposed to pick her up at the airport.

And you don’t. What happened?

She took a taxi.

But she is never going to let me forget this.

In a sport like baseball, dropping the ball instead of catching it can lead to poor results.

As an idiom, to “drop the ball” means to fail to do something that was your responsibility.

It can also mean to make a mistake at an important moment.

And that’s English in a Minute!