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Glite Dictionary
dog's dinner

dog's dinner

1 8.3
A situation, job, or piece of work that is messy and badly done
  • noun
  • /dɒɡz ˈdɪnə/
  • UK
translation icon : un desastre
  • Her presentation was a dog's dinner, with slides out of order and no clear message.

Examples

  • The project ended up being a dog's dinner due to poor planning and lack of communication.

  • Now, it's a dog's dinner.

    Black Snake (1973)

  • And smugly smile as he cons the lot of you and make a dog's dinner of the whole thing.

    In Love with Alma Cogan (2011)

  • After the chaotic event, everyone agreed it was a dog's dinner from start to finish.

Synonyms

mess-up
vsdog's dinner
  • Informal
9 5.1

A situation that is badly organized and full of mistakes

focuses on messy or poor quality situations rather than just the outcome
rat's nest
vsdog's dinner
  • Informal
2 6.8

A very messy place with many things mixed together

applies broadly to poor quality or badly organized tasks, not only clutter
dog's breakfast
vsdog's dinner
  • UK
1 9.5

A situation or job that is very messy and done badly

is similar but applies to messy or poor quality work generally
mad woman's custard
vsdog's dinner
  • Archaic
9.9

A very messy, confused mix of things in one place

is the neutral idiom for messy, badly organized, or poor quality things
soup sandwich
vsdog's dinner
  • Slang
9.7

A situation that is very messy and a complete disaster

covers messy or poorly organized work without always meaning complete disaster

How Messy

fiasco
76 6.2
dog's dinner
  • UK
1 8.3
mess
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

dog's dinner singular
dog's dinners plural

Morphology

dog's + dinner

The literal components ('dog' + 'dinner') can evoke a low-quality or untidy meal, so there is a loose, metaphorical link to something being messy or poor. However, the extended idiomatic use to describe a situation, job, or piece of work is a metaphorical, culture-specific shift that a B1 learner who only knows the constituents is unlikely to fully predict, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Dog's dinner may come from the image of a dog's dinner, a quick, thrown-together meal for a pet that looks messy and untidy. So it now means 'a messy or badly done job'.