blooper

American  

[bloo-per] / ˈblu pər /

noun

1. Informal. an embarrassing or humorous mistake, as one spoken live over a radio or television broadcast or one recorded during the filming of a movie, television show, etc..

   At the end of each season, the cast gathers to watch all the hilarious bloopers that were edited out along the way.

   Synonyms:

   goof, gaffe, slip, blunder, error

2. Radio. a receiving set that generates from its antenna radio-frequency signals that interfere with other nearby receivers.

3. Baseball.

   1. Also called bloop, looper, Texas leaguer.  a fly ball that carries just beyond the infield, where it is out of catching range for both the infielders and the outfielders, resulting in a hit for the batter.

   2. Also blooper ball a pitched ball that travels in a high arc before deceptively dropping into the strike zone.

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blooper British  

/ ˈbluːpə /

noun

1. informal a blunder; bloomer; stupid mistake

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Etymology

Origin of blooper

First recorded in 1925–30; bloop + -er ¹, originally in reference to a radio receiver that emits bloops

Explanation

A blooper is a mistake, especially an embarrassing one that's witnessed by other people. Your professor may be famous for his colorful bow ties and his frequent bloopers. You can use the word blooper to describe any gaffe or faux pas that makes you blush. Often films and TV shows will keep a reel of bloopers that were caught on camera — generally mistakes or flubbed lines by actors. The word was first used in the 1940s in the theater world, from US baseball slang, meaning "a high fly ball that an outfielder doesn't catch."

Example Sentences

The social media user behind the account for the mascot Blooper oddly took aim on the Phillie Phanatic, writing “his last highlight was recorded with a flash.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 13, 2023

Blooper Reels It’s like an immediate dose of laughter, Prozac for your brain.

From New York Times • May 17, 2022

Georgia Tech: "Blooper," the mascot for the World Series champion Atlanta Braves, performed at the game.

From Fox News • Dec. 2, 2021

This Blooper Bowl presented a challenge to the notion of what Washington is “supposed to” do.

From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2019

Blooper play notwithstanding, the Colts showed some fight in their loss to New England.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2015

Related Words

• gaffe