Idiom – Bad hair day.
A day when your hair won’t behave – or, more generally, a day when everything seems to go wrong.
Originally it described messy, unmanageable hair that leaves you feeling self-conscious. The phrase became popular in the 1990s, and today it’s often used for any frustrating day: “The printer’s broken, I missed the bus and I spilled coffee on my shirt – it’s a real bad hair day.”
The idiom dragged through a hedge backwards also describes looking very messy, especially with untidy hair.
Usage:
- Your hair is a mess and you can’t make it look good.
- You’re feeling unattractive or self-conscious.
- You’re having a bad day in general.
- You’re looking for an excuse to stay at home!
Example:
- “I don’t want to go to the party this evening. I’m having a bad hair day!”
Learn More
Look it upBad hair dayWiktionaryWhat is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
A day when your hair looks messy and won’t behave – or, more broadly, a day when everything seems to go wrong.
Yes. People often use it humorously to describe any frustrating day.
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