Clangers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of blunders or mistakes typically resulting in embarrassment or humorous outcomes
2. A collection of striking sounds like those made by clashing objects or bells
3. Referring to notable errors in speech or action often perceived with humor or disdain

Etymology: A clanger is, by the source's account, a shortening of "Bedfordshire clanger," and the full phrase is the more interesting half of the story. The "Bedfordshire" part points to a county in England, but the phrase's specific meaning is a blunder, a clumsy error that makes a noisy or awkward impression, which is what the word's sound suggests. The shortened form is the one most people now use, and it is typically heard in British English. The word itself is built from "clang," the loud ringing sound of metal striking metal, plus the suffix "-er," which here turns a sound into something that makes the sound. So a clanger is, at root, a thing that clangs, and the figurative sense grew out of that noisy, attention-grabbing mistake. The suffix is a common English pattern, and this is a straightforward formation on an existing word.

Synonyms: mistakes, blunders, errors