Meaning
gaffe, blunder, duck
- an embarrassing slip of the tongue or blunder, especially on air
- a young or female duck
In a sentence
Il conduttore ha fatto una papera in diretta televisiva.
The host made an on-air blunder on live television.
Le papere nuotavano tranquille nello stagno del parco.
The ducks were swimming quietly in the park pond.
Non preoccuparti per quella piccola papera durante la presentazione.
Don't worry about that little slip-up during the presentation.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| papera | feminine · singular |
| papere | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Informal when meaning a verbal blooper or gaffe.
- Commonly used for on-air bloopers in television and radio.