[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/clanger/)

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# clanger

noun (a clanger, clangers) — informal, mainly UK, Australia, New Zealand

«clanger» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (informal, UK) A clanger is a silly, embarrassing mistake, especially something you say that you should not have said. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#m1)
2. «Drop a clanger» means to make such an embarrassing mistake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#m2)
3. Rarely, a clanger is something that makes a loud clanging noise, like a bell clapper. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday talk and stories it marks a moment of embarrassment: someone said the wrong thing at the wrong time. It tells the reader the mistake was obvious and awkward, often funny, but not wicked. Phrase: drop a clanger, a real clanger.

### Examples

- Dad dropped a clanger when he asked Mrs Green when her baby was due — she wasn't pregnant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#x1)
- Calling the new teacher by the old teacher's name was a bit of a clanger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#x2)
- I dropped a right clanger in the quiz and said that spiders were insects. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#x3)
- The referee's decision was a total clanger, and everybody groaned. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#x4)
- Oops, that was a clanger — I told Mum about her surprise party. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#x5)
- The goalkeeper's clanger let in an easy goal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#x6)
- The old bell's iron clanger was rusty. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/#x7)

### Note

Countable: a clanger, clangers. Informal; fine in conversation, not in an exam essay — there you would write «an embarrassing mistake» or «a blunder». Mostly British, Irish, Australian and NZ English; Americans more often say «a goof» or «a blooper».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «clanger» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clanger/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«clanger» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/clanger.html) on Mova free.