The Epic Fail

Question 1

I had big plans to impress my friends with a homemade dinner—roast chicken, garlic bread, and a decadent dessert.

Answer 1

Decadent dessert– A rich, indulgent, and luxurious sweet dish, often implying high quality or excessive indulgence.

Question 2

Everything was going smoothly at first, until the garlic bread came out of the oven completely incinerated

Answer 2

Incinerated – Burned to ashes; completely destroyed by fire.

Question 3

I stood there, just staring at the disaster, feeling a bit dumbfounded.

Answer 3

Dumbfounded** – So shocked or surprised that one is temporarily unable to speak or react.

Question 4

The chicken—what was supposed to be the centerpiece—was blatantly undercooked.

Answer 4

Blatantly– In an obvious, unmistakable, or unashamed way.

Question 5

I had no words. How had I missed the mark so badly? I shoved it back in the oven, but deep down, I knew I was just trying to salvage what was already a lost cause.

Answer 5

Lost cause– A situation or effort that is certain to fail and not worth continuing.

Question 6

At that point, one of my friends leaned in and said, “Don’t sweat it, this happens to the best of us.” And honestly, that took the edge off.

Answer 6

Took the edge off– Reduced the intensity or severity of something, often making a stressful situation feel better.

Question 7

We ended up laughing it off and calling for takeout.

Answer 7

Laughing it off– Dismissing an embarrassing or awkward situation by making light of it.

Question 8

But the takeaway was clear: making mistakes is just part of the process.

Answer 8

Takeaway– The key lesson or main point learned from an experience.

Question 9

Next time, I’ll be a lot more mindful of the little details—like, the oven settings—before trying to pull off a gourmet meal.

Answer 9

Pull off– To succeed in doing something difficult or impressive.