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I am looking for one word to describe making a mistake that ordinarily should have been well within your ability to perform properly.

For example, if someone is considered especially gifted in perceptual organization, yet they fail to notice how to open an extremely simple lock, what type of mistake is that?

The connotation I'm looking for is something like a gross blunder, or an uncharacteristically stupid mistake.

The one word can be any type of word, i.e. noun, adjective, verb, etc. For example:

  • "You have made a (noun)."
  • "You just (verb)ed."
  • "That was very (adjective)."

Words like "gaffe", "blunder", "mistake", to me at least, don't indicate the extreme uncharacteristicness of the stupidity involved.

Thom Blair III
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    What's wrong with *blunder*? – NVZ Sep 10 '16 at 19:25
  • I just put a sentence at the end of my question, saying "blunder" etc don't seem to indicate the extreme uncharacteristicness of the mistake. – Thom Blair III Sep 10 '16 at 19:26
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    "You made a serious mistake" - Batman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7VqmAF7r0 – NVZ Sep 10 '16 at 19:56
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    Very informal but, brain fart? – 54 69 6D Sep 10 '16 at 20:03
  • @54696D Yes, I was thinking something like that, but something more formal. – Thom Blair III Sep 10 '16 at 20:05
  • Curious how it's much easier to think of the (insulting) words to describe a person who makes uncharacteristically stupid mistakes than to describe the type of stupendously stupid mistake they've made..?! – Dan Sep 11 '16 at 01:05
  • @ArchDenton: To repeat what the OP already said, the definition for *blunder* that you cite is consistent with stupidity or carelessness being the norm; e.g., "The accident was the result of a series of blunders.", "The government blundered ...".  The question is asking for a word for a stupid/careless mistake made by a person who normally doesn't make such mistakes. – Scott - Слава Україні Sep 11 '16 at 07:17

7 Answers7

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How about lapse (sometimes referred to as mental lapse)?

From Oxford Dictionaries:

lapse: a temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgment

As per the OP's question, a lapse is one word that describes "making a mistake [on a task] that ordinarily should have been well within [one's] ability to perform properly ... an uncharacteristically stupid mistake"

Brain fart would be a good two-word answer.

From Oxford Dictionaries:

brain fart: a temporary mental lapse or failure to reason correctly

Richard Kayser
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It's two words, but consider using:

Senior moment - an instance of momentary forgetfulness or confusion that is attributed to the aging process

Although senior is part it, this can apply to anyone who fails to do something they usually could.

54 69 6D
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The word braino might fit the bill. It is modelled on the wort typo: it means a random error in the cognitive process.

"You just put salt in your coffee!"
"Oh damn. Braino."

TonyK
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error

In baseball statistics, an error is an act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to advance one or more bases or allows an at bat to continue after the batter should have been put out. –Wiki

"... should have been well within your ability to perform properly."

I like to use the (incorrect) phrase, [I/you] have errored.

You gave each kid five bucks and let them loose in the candy store? You, sir, have errored.

Community
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Mazura
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How about flub? It can be used as both a noun and a verb (I flubbed; what a flub) and has the meaning you're asking for. It means to perform poorly; blunder; bungle. It seems to have a connotation of extreme and uncharacteristic stupidity, as if you were getting your nose rubbed in the dirt.

SquareCarrots
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I know this is technically a single-word request, but I would use "egregious blunder". Gross blunder, which you used in your own post, isn't too bad either.

Aleksandr Hovhannisyan
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Here's a list of synonyms: http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/screw-up

Here's what I like the best:

  • "You made a gaffe or a major boo-boo (embarrassing mistake)."
  • "You just had a major [engine] misfire."
  • "That was very sloppy."
aparente001
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