make a hash of

make a hash of (third-person singular simple present makes a hash of, present participle making a hash of, simple past and past participle made a hash of)

1. to do badly, particularly to make a mess while doing.

   I generally make a hash of talking to boys I like; it's so frustrating.

   Pouring drinks is one thing I always make a hash of, so please help yourselves.

   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London, Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

     First, you’ve made a hash of this cruise — you’ll be a bold man to say no to that. Second, you let the enemy out o’ this here trap for nothing.

   • 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 12”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:

     "Of course a miracle may happen, and you may be a great painter, but you must confess the chances are a million to one against it. It'll be an awful sell if at the end you have to acknowledge you've made a hash of it."

   • 2013 December 26, Phil McNulty, BBC Sport:

     City's victory was secured in first-half injury time when Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet made a hash of his attempt to keep out Alvaro Negredo's chip, ensuring Manuel Pellegrini's side kept their flawless home league record.

• mess up, muck up, stuff up, make a mess of
• make a Horlicks of
• (vulgar) screw up, cock up, fuck up, balls up, bugger up