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drop the ball

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.
drop the ball (American, informal)
to make a mistake, especially by doing something in a stupid or careless way. For god's sake don't drop the ball - we're relying on you.
See also: ball, drop
drop the ball
to fail to keep working to reach a goal. Public schools have pretty much dropped the ball on arts education.
Etymology: based on games like football in which all play stops if the ball is dropped
See also: ball, drop
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``The governor has thrown a touchdown pass,'' he said, ``and the Legislature is about to drop the ball.
LAUSD BANS JUNK FOOD BUT NEGLECTS EXERCISE RULES by Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Still, with Toronto gaining the better part of the early publicity around the court's decision, businesses there weren't about to drop the ball.
The business of marriage: gay Americans eager to get hitched are ... by Hays, Matthew / The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine)
Just because you've finished cutting hay for the year doesn't mean you can drop the ball on forage production.
Soybean rust: just a matter of time by Smith, Darrell / Farm Journal
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