# bad hair day

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bad-hair-day
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A day when things seem to be unmanageable or go wrong.

## Examples

- I'm having a bad hair day today.
- After spilling coffee and missing the bus, she admitted it was just a bad hair day.
- Nothing seemed to go right that morning: the toast burned, the car wouldn't start, and by noon he accepted it was simply a bad hair day.

## Origin

Said to have been coined by British trichologist Philip Kingsley (1930–2016). (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.