6/4/2019 I messed up!

(Phrasal verbs for problems) – About Words – Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog

About Words – Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog

Commenting on developments in the English language

I messed up! (Phrasal verbs for problems)

On April 19, 2017April 24, 2017 | By Kate Woodford | In Phrasal verbs, the English language
by Kate Woodford

Last month we focused on words and phrases that are

used to describe problems and difficult situations. This
week we’re looking specifically at phrasal verbs in this area.
In a week or so, we’ll look at a group of phrasal verbs that
describe how we deal with these situations. (Did you see
what I did there?)

The machines that we use in daily life can cause problems

for us and when they do, we often describe the problem
with a phrasal verb. If a machine or vehicle breaks down,
it stops working: Her car broke down on the way to work. If a
Bjorn Vinter/UpperCut Images/Ge y
machine or engine cuts out, it suddenly stops working:
Without any warning, the engine just cut out. Meanwhile, if a piece of equipment plays up, it doesn’t work
as it should: Ah, my laptop’s playing up again! You can also describe a part of the body as ‘playing up’,
meaning that it is hurting or not functioning as it should. (In this sense, ‘play up’ can be transitive as
well as intransitive in British English.): His knee’s been playing (him) up again. Lastly, a computer system
that goes down stops working for a period: The computers went down and we were unable to work for three
hours.

Sometimes we cause problems for ourselves by making a mistake. There is a set of ‘up’ phrasal verbs
used for this. If you (informal) trip up or slip up, you cause a problem by doing or saying something
incorrectly: These figures don’t make sense. Have we slipped up somewhere? / The interview went so well until I
tripped up on the last question. Meanwhile, if you (informal) mess up or mess something up, you spoil
something or fail in something you are doing, often by making a mistake: It was my fault, I know – I
messed up. / I was just so nervous giving the talk and I messed it up! An even more informal phrasal verb for
this is screw (sth) up: I totally screwed up my biology exam. / Just don’t screw up this time!

Problems, of course, can have other causes. If you are snowed under, you have too much work to do and
cannot manage it all: I’m snowed under with work at the moment. Finally, if you are bogged down, you are
giving so much a ention to one part of a subject or situation that you cannot do anything else: Let’s not
get bogged down with details – we need to look at the overall situation.

We hope your week is problem-free and you don’t need to use any of these phrasal verbs!
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6/4/2019 I messed up! (Phrasal verbs for problems) – About Words – Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog

23 thoughts on “I messed up! (Phrasal verbs for problems)”

1. murozel
Reblogged this on StatsLife.

APRIL 19, 2017 AT 12:48 PM REPLY

2. Daniel
Really good. I am learning a lot here! thank y’all

APRIL 19, 2017 AT 2:02 PM REPLY

3. John
A very nice piece on phrasal verbs. Is “botched up” considered informal?

APRIL 19, 2017 AT 2:23 PM REPLY

4. Said Oussou
Thank you.

APRIL 19, 2017 AT 3:21 PM REPLY

5. Weslei
Very important hints! Thanks a lot.

APRIL 19, 2017 AT 5:39 PM REPLY

6. shruti
these phrasal verbs are amazing! Extremely helpful! thank you so much.

APRIL 20, 2017 AT 4:55 AM REPLY

1. Isha
I think it’s a bit difficult to learn phrasal verbs. ….. But easy this way.. Thankyou so much

APRIL 21, 2017 AT 6:20 AM REPLY

7. Chirag
Firstly, nice article, even though i already knew some of these phrasal verbs but still came across new
ones and learning is all the more so, thanks to the lucidity of your articles.
Secondly, i wanted to ask if it’s just phrasal verbs you write specifically about or grammar too. I have
a doubt in grammar related to tenses, i will be happy if you could help.

APRIL 20, 2017 AT 6:49 AM REPLY

Kate Woodford
Hi Chirag, we write on a variety of subjects – idioms, grammar etc, so keep checking in.

APRIL 27, 2017 AT 7:33 PM REPLY

8. Hadeel Hammam
What about go off : my computer suddenly went off that is the reason of my bad mood.

APRIL 20, 2017 AT 7:09 AM REPLY

9. Sherrilynn

https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2017/04/19/i-messed-up-phrasal-verbs-for-problems/ 2/4
6/4/2019 I messed up! (Phrasal verbs for problems) – About Words – Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog

Ok “dishing it out” to someone is DIFFERENT than “dissing” someone. Dishing it out is “serving
up” negativity or negative remarks. “Dissing” someone is DISRESPECTING them. Guess you can do
both in the same sentence BUT it seems to work be er if they stay in their separate corners of
discourse…pun intended! Agree?

APRIL 21, 2017 AT 2:05 AM REPLY

10. Barry Prince
This is helpful.

APRIL 21, 2017 AT 11:48 PM REPLY

11. Billy
Hello Kate Woodford!
Thank you very much for this outstanding lesson…There’s much to learn from it.
I would like to ask whether we can use those phrasal verbs and yet expressing literally the same
thing in American English?

Thanks!

APRIL 22, 2017 AT 8:49 AM REPLY

12. Dismas kipruto
Really helpfull

APRIL 22, 2017 AT 10:45 AM REPLY

13. Mustafa
English language is very complicated linguistically

APRIL 24, 2017 AT 8:29 PM REPLY

14. Lead Pencil
could you tell me if phrasal verbs like cut out, break down and play up can be used with simple
home appliances like washing machine, blender, A ir conditioners, sewing machine, radio, T V etc.

APRIL 25, 2017 AT 6:40 PM REPLY

15. ustadh nuno
Thanks a lot for signing me up , am looking forward to hone my verbal skills

APRIL 25, 2017 AT 10:58 PM REPLY

16. JenD
In the U. S. “play up” would be “act up” and we would use for people who are misbehaving. ” I had
to call Billy ‘s mom today because he was acting up in class again. “

APRIL 26, 2017 AT 5:20 AM REPLY

1. JenD
I mean , we would ALSO use for a person who is misbehaving. As well as an appliance not
working properly.

APRIL 26, 2017 AT 5:21 AM REPLY

17. Lead Pencil
please help me with my question.

APRIL 27, 2017 AT 6:46 PM REPLY

Kate Woodford
https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2017/04/19/i-messed-up-phrasal-verbs-for-problems/ 3/4
6/4/2019 I messed up! (Phrasal verbs for problems) – About Words – Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog

Hi. ‘Cut out’ and ‘play up’ could be used with all of these, though ‘break down’ is usually used
for vehicles and big pieces of machinery, e.g a washing machine, rather than, say, a blender.

APRIL 27, 2017 AT 7:36 PM REPLY

18. Elifnur
So helpful. Thanks so much:)))

MAY 1, 2017 AT 9:13 PM REPLY

19. Jafar
Hi
Just wondering whether we canuse cock-up instead of mess up or screw up or not? Would be
appreciated if I got the answer or more examples.

MAY 7, 2017 AT 1:35 PM REPLY

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