to zig when someone should zag
- idiom
- Informal
:
cometer un error
- During the interview, he zigged when he should have zagged and gave the wrong answer.
Examples
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You can't afford to zig when you should zag in a high-pressure situation like this.
-
She always seems to zig when she should zag whenever there's a big decision to make.
-
Don't zig when you should zag!
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He always zigs when he should zag during negotiations.
-
During the interview, he zigged when he should have zagged and gave the wrong answer.
-
You can't afford to zig when you should zag in a high-pressure situation like this.
-
She always seems to zig when she should zag whenever there's a big decision to make.
Synonyms
38
6.1
Fail to do something you are responsible for
20
3.9
Choosing the wrong direction or decision causes trouble
16
6.8
To do something clumsily so it causes mistakes
7
4.4
To make a careless mistake by acting or speaking without thinking
1
4.2
Do something that is a serious and embarrassing mistake
To make the wrong choice when a different action is needed
How Wrong
Surface Forms
Morphology
zig + when + someone + should + zag
The phrase literally contrasts two opposing directional actions ('zig' vs. 'zag'), so a learner who knows both verbs can infer the intended sense of doing the opposite or taking the wrong course. This compositional oppositional logic (do X when you should do Y) is straightforward and common across languages, making the meaning accessible to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Zig when someone should zag comes from the picture of moving in a zigzag where you must switch direction often. If you zig when you should zag you go the wrong way and make a mistake, so the phrase means 'to take the wrong action'.