What it means
An absolute shambles. If something is a dog's dinner, it looks a mess or you've cocked it up so badly it needs doing again. You'll hear it in "made a dog's dinner of it" for bungled jobs. Slight curveball, "dressed up like a dog's dinner" can mean someone's gone too posh and a bit try-hard.
Usage examples
"Tried to tile the bathroom myself and made a dog's dinner of it, wonky rows, grout everywhere, and the missus fuming."
"The new lad in dispatch made a right dog's dinner of the morning orders, half the labels swapped, two parcels gone to the wrong county."
"Look at the state of this kitchen, an absolute dog's dinner, who let the kids loose with the flour and walked off?"
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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