Sometimes, people make mistakes or do things the wrong way. Instead of saying something plainly, we often use special phrases called idioms. Idioms are fun and colorful expressions that help explain ideas in interesting ways. When it comes to talking about things that go wrong, these idioms can be very useful. They help show feelings like surprise, regret, or even humor when something doesn’t go as planned.
Idioms about being wrong are used in stories, movies, and even in everyday life. They help people talk about errors in a softer or more fun way. For example, instead of saying “you made a mistake,” someone might say, “you barked up the wrong tree.” In this article, we’ll explore 25 idioms that people use to talk about doing something wrong or making a mistake. These will help you learn new ways to express yourself clearly.
Idioms About Wrong
1. Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning: To make a mistake about the source of a problem
Example Sentence:
• Joey blamed Max, but he was barking up the wrong tree.
• If you think I broke the window, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Other ways to say: Accuse the wrong person, make a wrong guess
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase comes from hunting dogs barking at a tree where the animal isn’t.
Usage: Used when someone blames or focuses on the wrong thing.
2. Miss the boat
Meaning: To miss a chance
Example Sentence:
• She missed the boat by forgetting to sign up for the class trip.
• He missed the boat when he didn’t buy the toy on sale.
Other ways to say: Miss out, lose the chance
Fun Fact/Origin: It started from ships leaving without people who arrived late.
Usage: Used when someone is too late to do something.
3. Get the wrong end of the stick
Meaning: To misunderstand a situation
Example Sentence:
• He got the wrong end of the stick and thought the party was today.
• She got the wrong end of the stick about the homework.
Other ways to say: Misunderstand, mix things up
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom may come from Roman times, about holding dirty sticks the wrong way.
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t understand what’s really going on.
4. Put your foot in your mouth
Meaning: To say something wrong or embarrassing
Example Sentence:
• I really put my foot in my mouth when I joked about her haircut.
• He put his foot in his mouth by asking if she was sick when she wasn’t.
Other ways to say: Say the wrong thing, embarrass yourself
Fun Fact/Origin: It paints a picture of saying something so bad you’d rather not talk at all.
Usage: Used when someone says something they shouldn’t have.
5. Off the mark
Meaning: Not correct or accurate
Example Sentence:
• His answer on the test was way off the mark.
• Your guess about the movie plot was off the mark.
Other ways to say: Wrong, not close
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sports, like archery, where hitting the mark means being right.
Usage: Used when someone guesses or thinks something wrong.
6. Go off track
Meaning: To stop doing what you’re supposed to
Example Sentence:
• We went off track and forgot about our science project.
• The teacher said we were going off track in our discussion.
Other ways to say: Get distracted, lose focus
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from train tracks—when a train goes off track, it’s in trouble.
Usage: Used when someone stops doing what they should be doing.
7. Make a mess of it
Meaning: To do something badly
Example Sentence:
• He made a mess of his presentation by not preparing.
• She made a mess of baking the cake.
Other ways to say: Do a bad job, mess up
Fun Fact/Origin: People used “mess” to mean disorder even in old times.
Usage: Used when someone does something the wrong way.
8. Go down the wrong path
Meaning: To make poor choices
Example Sentence:
• He went down the wrong path by lying.
• Don’t go down the wrong path—stay honest.
Other ways to say: Make bad choices, go the wrong way
Fun Fact/Origin: It’s like walking down a road that leads to trouble.
Usage: Used when someone makes choices that lead to problems.
9. Not add up
Meaning: To seem wrong or confusing
Example Sentence:
• His story didn’t add up—it sounded fake.
• The numbers didn’t add up on her math worksheet.
Other ways to say: Doesn’t make sense, something’s off
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from math, when numbers don’t total correctly.
Usage: Used when something doesn’t seem right.
10. Slip up
Meaning: To make a small mistake
Example Sentence:
• I slipped up and forgot my homework.
• He slipped up by calling her the wrong name.
Other ways to say: Make an error, mess up
Fun Fact/Origin: The word “slip” shows how easy mistakes can happen.
Usage: Used when someone makes a little mistake.
11. Back the wrong horse
Meaning: To support someone or something that fails
Example Sentence:
• He backed the wrong horse by choosing a slow team.
• I backed the wrong horse in the class election.
Other ways to say: Pick the wrong side, make a bad choice
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from horse racing—betting on the losing horse.
Usage: Used when someone supports the losing person or idea.
12. Out in left field
Meaning: Totally wrong or unexpected
Example Sentence:
• That answer was out in left field—it didn’t match the question.
• Her comment was out in left field and confused everyone.
Other ways to say: Off-topic, unexpected
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from baseball, where balls hit to left field can be surprising.
Usage: Used when someone says or does something strange or off.
13. Drop the ball
Meaning: To fail to do something important
Example Sentence:
• He dropped the ball by forgetting his speech.
• I dropped the ball and didn’t finish my homework.
Other ways to say: Mess up, fail
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sports, where dropping the ball ruins the play.
Usage: Used when someone fails to do their job or task.
14. Out of line
Meaning: Saying or doing something wrong
Example Sentence:
• His rude comment was out of line.
• She was out of line for shouting at the teacher.
Other ways to say: Rude, disrespectful
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from marching, where everyone must stay in line.
Usage: Used when someone behaves badly.
15. Off base
Meaning: Not correct
Example Sentence:
• That idea is way off base.
• Your guess about the story was off base.
Other ways to say: Wrong, mistaken
Fun Fact/Origin: Another phrase from baseball—players off base can get out.
Usage: Used when someone makes a wrong guess or statement.
16. Cross the line
Meaning: To do something that is not okay
Example Sentence:
• He crossed the line by making fun of her.
• That prank crossed the line.
Other ways to say: Go too far, behave badly
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of a line you shouldn’t pass.
Usage: Used when someone does something unacceptable.
17. Off the rails
Meaning: Out of control or wrong
Example Sentence:
• The plan went off the rails quickly.
• His behavior was off the rails at the party.
Other ways to say: Out of control, not working
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from trains that go off their tracks.
Usage: Used when something becomes chaotic or wrong.
18. A wild goose chase
Meaning: A foolish or hopeless search
Example Sentence:
• Looking for my lost sock was a wild goose chase.
• We went on a wild goose chase trying to find the store.
Other ways to say: Pointless search, waste of time
Fun Fact/Origin: Chasing wild geese is hard and leads nowhere.
Usage: Used when someone wastes time chasing something that can’t be found.
19. Jump to conclusions
Meaning: To decide something too quickly
Example Sentence:
• Don’t jump to conclusions before hearing the facts.
• She jumped to conclusions and blamed the wrong person.
Other ways to say: Assume, guess too fast
Fun Fact/Origin: Shows how rushing to decide can lead to being wrong.
Usage: Used when someone makes a fast and wrong guess.
20. Lead someone astray
Meaning: To cause someone to do something wrong
Example Sentence:
• He led me astray by telling me to skip class.
• Don’t let your friends lead you astray.
Other ways to say: Mislead, cause trouble
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of walking off the correct path.
Usage: Used when someone causes another to make a mistake.
21. Mess up
Meaning: To make a mistake or do something badly
Example Sentence:
• I messed up the project by spilling glue.
• He messed up the test by not reading the directions.
Other ways to say: Goof up, do badly
Fun Fact/Origin: A common casual phrase in American English
Usage: Used when someone makes a mistake.
22. Trip up
Meaning: To make a small mistake
Example Sentence:
• She tripped up while reading her poem.
• I tripped up on the last question of the quiz.
Other ways to say: Slip up, make an error
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from actually tripping while walking.
Usage: Used when someone makes a small error.
23. Out of touch
Meaning: Not aware of something important
Example Sentence:
• He’s out of touch with what’s popular now.
• She was out of touch and didn’t know the school rules changed.
Other ways to say: Not aware, disconnected
Fun Fact/Origin: Means you haven’t been “in touch” with current things.
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t know what’s going on.
24. Blow it
Meaning: To fail at something
Example Sentence:
• I really blew it on that spelling test.
• He blew it by not practicing.
Other ways to say: Fail, mess up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from slang for ruining a chance.
Usage: Used when someone wastes an opportunity.
25. Be wide of the mark
Meaning: To be very wrong
Example Sentence:
• His guess about the book’s ending was wide of the mark.
• That idea is wide of the mark.
Other ways to say: Totally wrong, off
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from aiming at a target and missing badly.
Usage: Used when someone makes a very wrong guess or comment.
Quiz: Idioms About Wrong
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “bark up the wrong tree” mean?
A) Climb a tree for fun
B) Blame the wrong person
C) Help someone in trouble
2. If someone “drops the ball,” what happened?
A) They played catch
B) They forgot something important
C) They won a prize
3. What does it mean to “get the wrong end of the stick”?
A) Understand something the wrong way
B) Pick up the wrong object
C) Share your snack
4. If a student “put their foot in their mouth,” what did they do?
A) Said something silly or rude
B) Fell down
C) Ate too fast
5. What does “miss the boat” mean?
A) Go swimming
B) Forget to pack
C) Miss a chance to do something
6. If something is “off the mark,” what does that mean?
A) It’s correct
B) It’s wrong or not close
C) It’s really fast
7. What does “jump to conclusions” mean?
A) Decide without knowing the facts
B) Jump rope really well
C) Ask a question
8. If a plan goes “off the rails,” what does that mean?
A) It’s fun
B) It’s working perfectly
C) It’s going wrong or out of control
9. What does it mean to be on a “wild goose chase”?
A) Going on a fun trip
B) Searching for something that’s hard to find
C) Finding animals
10. What does “blow it” mean?
A) Use a fan
B) Make a loud sound
C) Fail at something or mess it up
Answer Key
- B – Blame the wrong person
- B – They forgot something important
- A – Understand something the wrong way
- A – Said something silly or rude
- C – Miss a chance to do something
- B – It’s wrong or not close
- A – Decide without knowing the facts
- C – It’s going wrong or out of control
- B – Searching for something that’s hard to find
- C – Fail at something or mess it up
Wrapping Up
Idioms make language fun and easier to understand. When people talk about being wrong, they often use idioms instead of saying things directly. This helps soften the message and sometimes adds humor. Knowing these phrases can help you talk about mistakes in a better way.
These idioms are used in everyday conversations, school, and even movies. Learning them helps you speak more like a native speaker. Keep practicing, and you’ll get better at using them the right way.
