lay an egg — to fail completely or perform very poorly
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to fail completely or perform very poorly
Pronunciation (IPA): /leɪ ən eɡ/
Example Sentences
- My presentation laid such an egg that even my mom fell asleep
- The new restaurant laid an egg and closed within a month
- Don't worry about laying an egg - everyone fails sometimes
lay an egg
VERB[/leɪ ən eɡ/]
to fail completely or perform very poorly
a nervous comedian stands frozen at the microphone with sweat drops on his forehead. He gestures awkwardly with his hands while his mouth hangs open in panic. The joke he just told falls completely flat with no reaction from anyone. The audience sits with blank expressions, some looking at their phones or yawning. A few people in the front row shake their heads in disappointment while others look uncomfortable. someone failing completely at their performance
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This phrase originated in American theater during the 1920s, when displeased audiences would throw rotten eggs onto the stage to express their disapproval. The expression later generalized to mean 'to fail' or 'to perform badly' in any context, becoming a common idiom in American English.
Breakdown
lay (to place or put down) + egg (the oval reproductive body of poultry). Literally 'to place an egg,' the phrase evolved from the theater practice of audiences throwing rotten eggs as a sign of failure or poor performance.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My presentation laid such an egg that even my mom fell asleep”
“The new restaurant laid an egg and closed within a month”
“Don't worry about laying an egg - everyone fails sometimes”
“The movie was so bad, it didn't just lay an egg - it laid the whole chicken coop”
📚Related Words
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