Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.
Class V. Words Releasing to the Voluntary PowersDivision (I) Individual Volition
Section III. Voluntary Action
2. Complex Voluntary Action
699. Unskillfulness.
FOLLY, stupidity [See Imbecility. Folly]; indiscretion (rashness) [See Rashness]; thoughtlessness (inattention) [See Inattention], (neglect) [See Neglect]; sabotage [F.].
MISMANAGEMENT, misconduct, mis- feasance; inexpedience, bad policy, impolicy; maladministration; misrule, misgovernment, misapplication, misdirection.
ABSENCE OF RULE, rule of thumb; bungling &c. v.; failure [See Failure]; screw loose; too many cooks.
BLUNDER (mistake) [See Error]; étourderie [F.], gaucherie [F.], act of folly, balourdise [F.], bungle, botch, botchery; bad job, sad work.
sprat sent out to catch a whale, butterfly broken on a wheel, tempest in a teacup, storm in a teacup, much ado about nothing, wild-goose chase.
BUNGLER [See Bungler]; fool [See Fool]; hen with its head cut off [colloq.].
play tricks with, play Puck; mismanage, misconduct, misdirect, misapply, missend.
ACT FOOLISHLY; stultify -, make a fool of -, commit- oneself; play the fool; put oneself out of court; lose one’s -head, – senses, – cunning; begin at the wrong end; do things by halves (not complete) [See Noncompletion]; make two bites of a cherry; play at cross-purposes; strain at a gnat and swallow a camel (caprice) [See Caprice]; put the cart before the horse; lock the stable door when the horse is stolen (too late) [See Intempestivity].
not know what one is about, not know one’s own interest, not know on which side one’s bread is buttered; stand in one’s own light, quarrel with one’s bread and butter, throw a stone in one’s own garden, kill the goose which lays the golden eggs, pay dear for one’s whistle, cut one’s own throat, burn one’s fingers; knock -, run- one’s head against a stone wall; bring the house about one’s ears; have too many -eggs in one basket (imprudent) [See Rashness], – irons in the fire.
cut blocks with a razor; hold a farthing candle to the sun (useless) [See Inutility]; fight with -, grasp at- a shadow; catch at straws, lean on a broken reed, reckon without one’s host, pursue a wild-goose chase; go on a fool’s errand, go on a sleeveless errand [obs.]; go further and fare worse; fail [See Failure].
MISTAKE [See Error]; take the shadow for the substance (credulity) [See Credulity]; bark up the wrong tree; be in the wrong box, aim at a pigeon and kill a crow; take -, get- -the wrong pig by the tail, – the wrong sow by the ear, – the dirty end of the stick [all colloq.]; put the saddle on the wrong horse, put a square thing into a round hole, put new wine into old bottles; lose one’s way, miss one’s way; fall into a trap, catch a Tartar.
adrift, at fault.
INAPT, unapt; inhabile [obs.]; untractable, unteachable; giddy (inattentive) [See Inattention]; inconsiderate (neglectful) [See Neglect]; stupid [See Imbecility. Folly]; inactive [See Inactivity]; incompetent; unqualified, disqualified, ill-qualified; unfit; quackish; raw, green, inexperienced, rusty, out of practice.
UNACCUSTOMED, unused, untrained [See Teaching], uninitiated, unconversant (ignorant) [See Ignorance]; unbusinesslike, unpractical, shiftless; unstatesmanlike.
ILL-ADVISED, unadvised, misadvised; ill-devised, ill-imagined, ill-judged, ill-contrived, ill-conducted; unguided, misguided; misconducted, foolish, wild; infelicitous; penny wise and pound foolish (inconsistent) [See Caprice].