fiasco
nounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//fiˈæs.kəʊ//
- United States//fiˈæs.koʊ//
A sudden or unexpected failure.
noun
- 1
A sudden or unexpected failure.
The event turned into a complete fiasco when the power went out.
His speech was a fiasco that left the audience confused.
"Well, doctor," said Mr. Curtis, heartily, "I am glad for your sake that the financial part of the enterprise has succeeded so well, because, the more I think over the scheme, the more I am convinced that it will prove a complete fiasco in practice. And that reminds me that there is one question which I wish to ask you."
- 2
A ludicrous or humiliating situation. Some effort that went quite wrong.
- 3
A wine bottle in a (usually straw) jacket.
I sent for the porter and when he came I told him in Italian to get me a bottle of Cinzano at the wine shop, a fiasco of chianti and the evening papers. He went away and brought them wrapped in newspaper, unwrapped them and, when I asked him to, drew the corks and put the wine and vermouth under the bed.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian fiasco (“bottle, flask”), from Late Latin flasca, flascō (“bottle, container”), from Frankish *flaskā (“bottle, flask”) from Proto-Germanic *flaskǭ (“bottle”); see flask. “Failure” sense comes through French faire fiasco from Italian theatrical slang far fiasco (literally “to make a bottle”), of uncertain origin; perhaps from an expression fare il fiasco, meaning to play a game with the forfeit that the loser will buy the next bottle or round of drinks. Doublet of flacon, flagon, and flask.
Forms
- plural
- fiascos, fiascoes, fiaschi, fiasci