mismangle

mismangle

English

Etymology

mis- +‎ mangle

Verb

mismangle (third-person singular simple present mismangles, present participle mismangling, simple past and past participle mismangled)

1. To mangle in a destructive way; to disfigure or rearrange with bad results.
   • 1977, Groucho Marx, Beds, page 33:

     And do you suppose that Miggle's Sewer Products – they've been shamefully mismangled, if you ask me – will ever […]

   • 2001, A. R. Ammons, “Emplacement”, in Collected Poems, 1951-1971:

     for I perceive the great work to be done is too often mismangled in committee, so lacks all identity, all measuring out into salient, songster-mongered cherishing:

   • 2017, James MacManus, Midnight in Berlin:

     "Well, I enjoyed myself," said his wife, "but I think, how do you say it in English? I mismangled your husband a little.” “Yes, he did look a bit mismangled,” said Primrose. “What have you done with him?”