lay an egg
To produce a failure or flop; to do something which is unsuccessful.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The comedian really laid an egg during his performance last night.”
“The team spent months preparing for the product launch, but it laid an egg when nobody bought the new device.”
“Despite the massive budget and high expectations, the director's latest film laid an egg at the box office, leaving critics and investors deeply disappointed.”
- 01
a wild goose never laid a tame egg
Most things are inherited and predetermined.
- 02
bad egg
Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.
- 03
best laid plans
A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the ability to fully or even partially execute them is uncertain.
- 04
borrow and beg
[Cockney slang]egg
- 05
curate's egg
A thing which has good and bad parts, but is overall spoiled by the bad.
- 06
egg on
To encourage or coax (a person) to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.
- 07
good egg
A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend.
- 08
kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
To seek short-term gain at the sacrifice of long-term profit.
Last updated August 10, 2026