scupper
to make fail
TRANSLATION
zum Scheitern bringen, versenken
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
EU court SCUPPERS law mergers - In a surprise ruling, the European Court of Justice supported a Dutch ban on a partnership between two Netherlands-based lawyers and two business services giants, Andersen and PwC.
BBC News
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Such deals have become politically toxic in America, but the White House denied the new regulations were intended specifically to SCUPPER the Pfizer-Allergan merger.
The Economist
BBC News
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Such deals have become politically toxic in America, but the White House denied the new regulations were intended specifically to SCUPPER the Pfizer-Allergan merger.
The Economist
Did you
know?
scupper
verb (informal)
1. to prevent from working or succeeding; thwart.
2. (British) to sink (a ship or its crew) deliberately.
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ORIGIN
The word "scupper" originally came from sailing. Sometimes a ship becomes so badly damaged that the crew had to deliberately sink, or "scupper" her - nowadays we use this term if we want to destroy or make something fail.
late 19th century (as military slang in the sense ‘kill, especially in an ambush’): of unknown origin. The sense ‘sink’ dates from the 1970s.
The English language contains many maritime phrases. Here are some common ones:
- A loose cannon
- All aboard
- All at sea
- Clear the decks
- Don't make waves
- flagship product
- full steam ahead
- Heavy seas
- In the same boat
- jump ship
- Like rats leaving a sinking ship
- Run a tight ship
- Shape up or ship out
- All hands meeting
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SYNONYMS
to prevent from working or succeeding:
circumvent, foil, frustrate, impede, obstruct. prevent, stymie, scotch, scupper, upset, upset the apple cart
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO A CONVERSATION TODAY
Say something like:
"Plans for the launch were scuppered by production delays."
verb (informal)
1. to prevent from working or succeeding; thwart.
2. (British) to sink (a ship or its crew) deliberately.
---
ORIGIN
The word "scupper" originally came from sailing. Sometimes a ship becomes so badly damaged that the crew had to deliberately sink, or "scupper" her - nowadays we use this term if we want to destroy or make something fail.
late 19th century (as military slang in the sense ‘kill, especially in an ambush’): of unknown origin. The sense ‘sink’ dates from the 1970s.
The English language contains many maritime phrases. Here are some common ones:
- A loose cannon
- All aboard
- All at sea
- Clear the decks
- Don't make waves
- flagship product
- full steam ahead
- Heavy seas
- In the same boat
- jump ship
- Like rats leaving a sinking ship
- Run a tight ship
- Shape up or ship out
- All hands meeting
---
SYNONYMS
to prevent from working or succeeding:
circumvent, foil, frustrate, impede, obstruct. prevent, stymie, scotch, scupper, upset, upset the apple cart
---
SMUGGLE OWAD INTO A CONVERSATION TODAY
Say something like:
"Plans for the launch were scuppered by production delays."
