ESL Podcast 744 - Dealing With a Mistake

miscommunication - something that was said or written to mean one thing, but understood to mean something else; an instance of unsuccessful communication

Craig thought we were meeting at 7:00, but nobody else showed up until 9:00. He was upset, but it was just a simple miscommunication.

copier - a copy machine; a machine that makes copies, reproducing an image on another piece of paper

Chantrelle is using the copier to make copies of the homework assignment for all her students.

wires got crossed - a mistake that happened due to a misunderstanding or miscommunication

Phyong asked for a small cup of soup, but somehow the wires got crossed and her waiter brought her a small cup of coffee.

to get to the bottom of - to research or investigate something to find the true explanation or reason why something happened

The police officer swore he wouldn't rest until he got to the bottom of the mysterious murder.

purchase order - an official document that a company gives to a vendor (seller) stating the number, specifications, and price of the items it wants to buy

We can't buy the new computer until our manager approves and signs the purchase order.

on (one's) end - one's responsibility or fault, used to emphasize that it is not the other person's responsibility or fault; describing what one party is doing versus what another party is doing

We're working really hard on our end to meet the terms of the contract, but it seems like the client doesn't really care.

to figure (something) out - to work hard to understand something; to analyze what happened and/or determine why it happened

How many hours did it take you to figure out what was wrong with Supin's computer?

responsible - having responsibility for something; in charge of something and needing to accept the consequences of one's actions or decisions

The office kitchen is so dirty! Who's responsible for cleaning it?

clerical error - an unimportant, careless error caused by an office worker, especially by filling out a form or typing something incorrectly

Clerical errors in legal contracts can cost the firm thousands of dollars, so please proofread everything carefully.

no harm, no foul - a phrase used to recognize that something bad happened, but indicate that it was not very important because nobody was hurt by it and there were no serious consequences

Yes, Randall forgot about the meeting, but no harm, no foul. They can just reschedule it for next week.

screw up - a bad mistake with significant consequences; a problem caused by someone's mistake

When Shane forgot his girlfriend's birthday, it was a major screw up and she didn't talk to him for a week.

productivity - the amount of work that one can complete during a certain period of time, especially when compared to the amount of work other people can do

Do you think computers have increased people's productivity?

to stand corrected - to recognize that what another person is saying is correct; to admit that one had been wrong, but now agrees with the other person

The newspaper originally published the article with a few mistakes, but now the journalist stands corrected.

honest mistake - an error that was made by accident or oversight, not intentionally or on purpose

I'm so sorry I took your suitcase at the airport, but it was an honest mistake. It looked exactly like mine!

to make excuses - to offer a reason or explanation for why something happened, usually because one wants to avoid punishment or avoid making another person angry

Wynona gets really angry when her employees make excuses. She respects them a lot more if they just admit they made a mistake and then find a way to fix it.

debacle - a major failure; a serious problem

The computer conference was a debacle and I'm sure nobody will register to go again next year.