shoot oneself in the foot

(idiom) make a situation worse for oneself by accident

Example Sentences:

A: Did you meet your new girlfriend’s parents last night?
B: Yes I did.
A: How did it go?
B: I shot myself in the foot when I told her father I was unemployed and lived with my parents.

When Michelle got drunk before her final exam, she was shooting herself in the foot. She failed the test!

During the job interview, Annie managed to shoot herself in the foot when she told the interviewer that she was lazy and often late for work. She didn’t get the job.

From the Blogs:

California GOP about to shoot itself in the foot --again

Media:

Similar idioms:

1. start off on the wrong foot
2. get one’s foot in the door
3. shoot from the hip
4. set foot
5. put one’s foot in one’s mouth
6. on foot
7. put one’s best foot forward
8. chatty
9. shoot one’s mouth off
10. put one’s foot down