Question

in_the_loop_432 to do something embarrassing Compare to: bomb

Accepted Answer

LAY AN EGG I really laid an egg when I asked that elderly woman how old she was. I was just curious, but I should have known it was the wrong thing to do.Everyone stopped talking and looked at the young man in disbelief when he asked Mr. Thomas about his salary. The young man had really laid an egg. Whereas bomb is usually applied to creative activities (e.g., a play, a book, a movie, an idea) that fail on a grand scale, lay an egg is usually applied to something that is socially embarrassing on a small scale.

Id	in_the_loop_432
Idiom	LAY AN EGG
Definition	to do something embarrassing
Examples	I really laid an egg when I asked that elderly woman how old she was. I was just curious, but I should have known it was the wrong thing to do. Everyone stopped talking and looked at the young man in disbelief when he asked Mr. Thomas about his salary. The young man had really laid an egg.
Cross-Refs	Compare to: bomb
Extra Info	Whereas bomb is usually applied to creative activities (e.g., a play, a book, a movie, an idea) that fail on a grand scale, lay an egg is usually applied to something that is socially embarrassing on a small scale.

Egg I Lay Embarrassing Laid Asked Young Man