fall\ asleep\ at\ the\ switch

fall\ asleep\ at\ the\ switch
v. phr.
To fail to perform an expected task; be remiss in one's duty.

The two airplanes wouldn't have collided, if the control tower operator hadn't fallen asleep at the switch.

The dean promised our department $250,000 but the foundation never sent the money because someone in the dean's office fell asleep at the switch.


Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". . 1997.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • fall asleep at the switch — be asleep at the switch if someone is asleep at the switch, they are not ready to act quickly to avoid problems and do their job well. The Party was simply too confident of victory and fell asleep at the switch …   New idioms dictionary

  • fall asleep at the switch — {v. phr.} To fail to perform an expected task; be remiss in one s duty. * /The two airplanes wouldn t have collided, if the control tower operator hadn t fallen asleep at the switch./ * /The dean promised our department $250,000 but the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • fall asleep at the switch — {v. phr.} To fail to perform an expected task; be remiss in one s duty. * /The two airplanes wouldn t have collided, if the control tower operator hadn t fallen asleep at the switch./ * /The dean promised our department $250,000 but the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • asleep at the switch — {adj. phr.} 1. Asleep when it is one s duty to move a railroad switch for cars to go on the right track. * /The new man was asleep at the switch and the two trains crashed./ 2. {informal} Failing to act promptly as expected, not alert to an… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • asleep at the switch — {adj. phr.} 1. Asleep when it is one s duty to move a railroad switch for cars to go on the right track. * /The new man was asleep at the switch and the two trains crashed./ 2. {informal} Failing to act promptly as expected, not alert to an… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • asleep — a|sleep S2 [əˈsli:p] adj [not before noun] 1.) sleeping ≠ ↑awake ▪ Quiet! The baby s asleep. fast/sound asleep (=sleeping deeply) 2.) fall asleep a) to begin to sleep ▪ Grandad fell asleep watching TV …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • The Itis (The Boondocks) — Infobox Boondocks Episode Title = The Itis Caption = Robert and Ed at the grand opening of The Itis. Airdate = January 22, 2006 Season no. = 1 Episode no. = 10 Production no. = 108 Writer = Rodney Barnes Aaron McGruder Director = Joe Horne Guests …   Wikipedia

  • The Electric Company (1971 TV series) — The Electric Company redirects here. For the 2009 revival, see The Electric Company (2009 TV series). For other uses, see Electric company (disambiguation). The Electric Company 1971–1977 logo of The Electric Company. Format Child …   Wikipedia

  • The Blitz — London Blitz redirects here. For the London based American football team, see London Blitz (American football). For other uses, see Blitz (disambiguation). The Blitz Part of Second World War, Home Front …   Wikipedia

  • fall — Synonyms and related words: Niagara, Scotch mist, Waterloo, abate, abatement, ablate, accept, apostasy, ascend, assail, assault, associate with, attack, autumn, backslide, backsliding, bag, bank, bate, be destroyed, be eaten away, be found, be… …   Moby Thesaurus

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”