Idiom
Drop the ball
To drop the ball is to make a mistake by failing to do something you were responsible for.
How people use it
People use it when a task is forgotten or handled carelessly (sorry, I dropped the ball on booking the restaurant). It often comes with on and the task. It is informal and common at work and in group projects. Saying it about yourself is a polite way to admit a mistake and take responsibility. It usually refers to neglect or forgetting, not to a lack of skill.
Examples
- Leo dropped the ball on the team's travel plans, so nobody had a hotel room.
- I really dropped the ball by forgetting my sister's birthday card this year.
- The city dropped the ball on fixing the potholes, and drivers are annoyed.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from ball games such as baseball and American football, where dropping the ball at a key moment can cost a team the game. Sports writers used it literally for fumbles and missed catches, and by the mid-1900s it was used in American English for any failure to handle a responsibility.
Check yourself
1. If a teammate says she dropped the ball on the project, what does she mean?
Answer: She failed to do her part. Drop the ball means failing to handle something you were responsible for.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Ben dropped the ball and forgot to send the invitations.. Forgetting the invitations is a failure of responsibility. Finishing on time and cooking a perfect meal are the opposite.
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