Fiasco (meaning): something that does not do well; a complete failure.
Examples:
- We planned to
climb the mountain, but our plans turned into a fiasco because of the
terrible weather.
- The attack was a fiasco, the fighting was all over in
ten minutes. (E. Phillips Oppenheim. "A Millionaire of Yesterday")
The origin is as follows: when Venice was famed for its glass, the utmost care was taken by the makers of Venetian glass to ensure that their ware was perfect. If any flaw developed in the delicate work, it was the practice of the workmen, in order to avoid waste, to turn the article into
a common flask – a fiasco. Hence the Venetian glass-makers regarded a fiasco as something which had failed to come up to their standard.
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| It was a complete fiasco! |
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