banana skin

British  

noun

1. the soft outer covering of a banana

2. informal something unforeseen that causes an obvious and embarrassing mistake

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Etymology

Origin of banana skin

sense 2 from the common slapstick joke of a person slipping after treading on a banana skin

Example Sentences

What we learned: Boulter came through a tough first-round draw against ninth seed Paula Badosa, but faced a banana skin next in Sierra.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025

For example, the plants glowed much more strongly when a ripe banana skin was nearby.

From NewsForKids.net • Jan. 19, 2024

That was a banana skin match for him, which he made look very easy.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2023

Strawberry syrup and banana skin preserved in gesso offer bright, sticky-sweet contrast in some shadows.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2023

And he became as pale as a dried banana skin.

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse