French Conversation · Level 191
16 words
French word
gaffer
Pronunciation
IPA/gafe/
Meaning
- verbmess up
Example
Elle gaffe souvent au travail.
She often messes up at work.
More examples
Il gaffe en envoyant un message.
He messes up when sending a message.
Core concept
One careless act that turns a routine exchange into an embarrassing complication.
Common phrases
gaffer au travail
mess up at work
gaffer en public
mess up in public
Similar words
faire une gaffe: Making a careless remark or gesture that embarrasses people nearby.
faire une boulette: Making a small, careless mistake that causes trouble or confusion.
se ridiculiser: Making oneself look foolish in front of other people.
dire une bêtise: Saying something foolish and inappropriate that spoils the atmosphere.
Definition in French
Faire ou dire quelque chose de maladroit qui entraîne une conséquence embarrassante ou un contretemps.
Word origin
French created gaffer from the noun gaffe, a nineteenth-century colloquial word for a blunder, by verb formation in -er.
Usage tips
- In compound past tenses, gaffer takes avoir and has the past participle gaffé.