balls-upn.
/ˈbɔːlzʌp/, U.S. /ˈbɔlzˌəp/, /ˈbɑlzˌəp/ coarse slang (chiefly British).
A fiasco, a disaster; a mess, a muddle.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > confusion or disorder > [noun] > a state of confused disorder
feery-fary1535
puddle1587
bauchle1600
vertigo1702
whemmel1817
mull1821
mix-up1841
scrimmage1852
embroilment1856
hash-up1860
brangle1865
mucker1867
unplight1876
car wreck1877
mix1882
mess-up1902
stirabout1905
pot mess1914
boorach1928
balls-up1929
muck-up1930
balls1938
box1941
Chinese fire drill1943
snafu1943
foul-up1944
screw-up1950
snarl-up1960
tiswas1960
bumble-bath1965
clusterfuck1969
headfuck1983
car crash1992
katogo1994
dumpster fire2008
the world > action or operation > ability > inability > unskilfulness > [noun] > unskilful action or working > a bungle
miscarriage1590
bungle1656
bumble1823
boggle1834
muff1867
car wreck1877
mismove1877
miscue1882
muddle1884
bobble1887
mess-up1902
floater1913
bollock1919
fluff1928
balls-up1929
muck-up1930
balls1938
snafu1943
foul-up1944
fuck-up1949
clusterfuck1969
car crash1992
dumpster fire2008
omnishambles2009
1929 R. Graves Good-bye to all That xv. 196 ‘What's happened?’ I asked. ‘Bloody balls-up,’ was the most detailed answer I could get.
1939 ‘G. Orwell’ Coming up for Air ii. viii. 150 You couldn't go on regarding society as something eternal and unquestionable, like a pyramid. You knew it was just a balls-up.
1945 Penguin New Writing 26 51 ‘What d'you make of this case, corporal?’ ‘Bleeding balls-up, between you and me.’
1956 R. Fuller Image of Society viii. 197 Stuart Blackledge made a ballsup of the valuation.
1978 P. Larkin Let. 17 Aug. in Sel. Lett. (1992) 588 Got caught in a cloudburst.., water got into the engine, car stopped, general balls-up.
2007 Racing Post (Nexis) 19 Apr. 9 The start of the Grand National was a complete balls up, again.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1929