train wreck

Meaning: A spectacular, inevitable disaster that is witnessed by many people.

Example: “The first rehearsal was a train wreck, but opening night went perfectly.”

Equivalents in other languages

Origin: The literal image of a train crash, used figuratively to describe any large-scale, visible catastrophe unfolding before observers.

chase a rainbow To pursue something that is impossible or unrealistic to attain.
rock the boat To disrupt the status quo or challenge established conventions and rules.
body English Subtle body movements a person makes to coax a moving object toward a desired direction,…
above the salt Of high social rank, importance, or honor.
break the mold To abandon convention and do something radically new or different.
hoist by one's own petard To be harmed or destroyed by one's own trap or scheme meant to injure someone else.

Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.

She sells seashells by the seashore. The definitive 's' versus 'sh' alternation — the tongue has to switch place of articulati…
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A relentless 'p' plosive drill; a peck is an old dry measure of about nine litres.
Unique New York. Three words that jam the 'y/n/k' sequence together — repeat it and it collapses into 'you…

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