crapshoot

[krap-shoot]

noun

1. Informal.,  anything unpredictable, risky, or problematical; gamble.

verb (used without object)

crapshot, crapshooting 

1. to play craps.

2. Informal.,  to take risks; gamble.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crapshoot¹

First recorded in 1970–75; crap ² + shoot ¹

Example Sentences

“Candidly to some degree it can be a crapshoot.”

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The MLB postseason, which begins on Tuesday, is often described as a “crapshoot”—a zany, monthlong gauntlet where chaos reigns supreme and the best team in the regular season rarely wins.

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I’m tired of going to games with my kids and having it turn into a boozy crapshoot, the difference between us having a nice day and a nightmare being the consumption of strangers.

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TSA has often been a crapshoot, risking pileups as travelers pulled laptops from carry-ons and novice vacationers struggled to untie their sneakers.

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Everyone could use a more extensive palette of human possibility than the one supplied by the crapshoot of an immediate family.

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