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Vocabulary : Idioms : S : shoot yourself in the foot

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shoot yourself in the foot

Meaning: If you shoot yourself in the foot, you harm yourself in some way by doing something stupid or making a silly mistake.

For example:

  • Why does Kerry always shoot herself in the foot by saying the wrong thing?

  • The Minister of Agriculture shot himself in the foot by saying that farmers couldn't understand economics because they weren't educated. He resigned soon after.

Quick Quiz:

The head of the football association shot himself in the foot
  1. by telling a racist joke
  2. by making some good decisions
  3. by playing around with a gun

Discuss: shoot yourself in the foot

Idiom of the Day

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