So, is “each stumble and misfire” a commonly expression or just a line in a song by Bastille? I mean, do you use the noun “misfire” as a synonym for “mistake”?
I think that would be stretching the meaning too far.
So the Bastille guys coined the phrase? Judging by the Google results they did.
Imho misfire is used to mean mistake often but not usually in combination with stumble which has a slightly different meaning. A stumble is a temporary setback, often on the way to achieving ones goal. A misfire is a botched attempt but perhaps both are used more as verbs.
The thief stumbled in his attempt to crack the combination of the safe, and was caught by the security guard before he could open its doors. His attempt to job the bank misfired completely.
See meaning 3 here
I would say that stumble is used slightly less than misfire to represent a non-stumble non-misfire mistake.
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Many thanks for this explanation, Tim. So it seems that Bastille did indeed create the phrase ‘every stumble and each misfire’ or they at least were the first ones to use it in a song? Similar to ‘every twist and turn’ for example?
Yes, “every stumble and each misfire” may well belong to Bastille or at least it is not a phrase I have heard before.
In answer to the qualification of your question, " I mean, do you use the noun “misfire” as a synonym for “mistake”?" my answer above stands.
“Every stumble and each misfire” sounds very natural to me. But then, they are British so it is not unlikely they coined the phrase themselves.
Interesting song. Bastille - Good Grief (Official Music Video) - YouTube
I am of the opinion that songs that mention fingers and feet may be very (too?) profound.
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