make a hash of something

make a hash of (something)

To ruin, bungle, or spoil something. I really made a hash of that project at work—I'm going to get fired for sure! I'm afraid the accounting department made a complete hash of these numbers. We'll need to tally the entire ledger again.See also: hash, make, of

make a hash of something

INFORMALIf you make a hash of a job or task, you do it very badly. The Government made a total hash of things and wasted a small fortune. She fumbled with the trolley and made a hash of stacking the food trays.See also: hash, make, of, something

make a ˈmess/ˈhash of something/of doing something

(informal) do something very badly: We tried making some wine, but we made a mess of it (= it did not taste good).I made a complete hash of the whole exam.See also: hash, make, mess, of, something