arse up
British slang meaning to mess something up, bungle it, or ruin it through incompetence or carelessness.
Definitions
British slang meaning to mess something up, bungle it, or ruin it through incompetence or carelessness. Used as a transitive verb: you can "arse up" a plan, a project, a relationship, or just about anything that can go wrong. The phrase is mildly vulgar by British standards but is common in everyday informal British speech. Similar in meaning to "cock up" or "balls up." Delivers a tone of genuine frustration or exasperation.
He completely arsed up the client presentation by using last quarter's figures.
Comments
British slang phrasal verb meaning to mess up, botch, or ruin something through incompetence or poor execution. Can be used transitively or intransitively. Common across British English dialects with the same casual register as cock up or balls up. Slightly more vulgar than cock up but still well within ordinary informal speech. The up adds perfective emphasis, making the mess feel final and complete.
She had spent two weeks on the pitch and still managed to arse up the final slide in front of the whole board.
Comments
(UK, slang, transitive) To mess up; to botch.
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Semantically related
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(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Commonwealth, vulgar, slang) To fail to do correctly; to make a mess of.
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(slang, UK, Australian, intransitive) To make a big mistake.
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Vulgar slang verb meaning to ruin, spoil, or mess something up — a coarser equivalent of 'cock up' or 'screw up'. The transitive use implies that someone's actions have caused something to go badly wrong. Common in informal speech where stronger emphasis is wanted.