Slang phrase meaning figuratively to spoil a good thing or favorable situation by some erring, usually small, behavior.
Michael Dukakis seemed like a good presidential candidate; but he peed in the punchbowl by revealing he had been treated for depression.
Oprah Winfrey's TV network was going well until her CEO peed in the punchbowl with her incompetence and was fired.
Oprah Winfrey's TV network was going well until her CEO peed in the punchbowl with her incompetence and was fired.
by david lincoln brooks May 31, 2011
Get the peed in the punchbowl mug.Yeah man, last night I found some nasty bitches on Craigslist that came over. It all ended with both girls drinking from the Dirty Punchbowl!
by Cantyman August 24, 2023
Get the The Dirty Punchbowl mug.It's how my father characterized his reception as a Catholic when visiting my mother's Baptist family in the 40's Southern Illinois. I was a welcome as a "turd in a punchbowl"
by Scott Stelmar August 1, 2025
Get the Turd in a punchbowl mug.to cross the line; an egregious faux pas; to say or do something so offensive or outrageous it brings everything to a grinding halt; like going to a party and shitting in the punch bowl.
"It was funny until Josh said that thing about his wife literally having sex with a rat."
"Yeah, he totally shit in the punch bowl on that one."
"Yeah, he totally shit in the punch bowl on that one."
by Doug Higbert January 5, 2009
Get the shit in the punch bowl mug.n. A person who spoils a pleasant social situation.
This metaphor is powered by a particularly vivid contrast: the inviting sensory appeal of a festive beverage juxtaposed with the revolting suggestion of feculent contagion. Therefore, labeling someone a turd in the punch bowl is most appropriate when the individual's deleterious influence goes beyond mere faux pas or nuisance behaviors, and rises to the level of deliberate offense for its own sake. Consider that the literal act of depositing or excreting fecal matter into a communal food-service container would be sabotage.
The punch bowl and the feces connote certain additional nuances. The former is a symbol of public community, as such dispensers are frequently encountered at parties where they become a focal point for interaction. Freud famously identified feces with aggression and the possessive instinct. Thus a turd in the punch bowl suggests rage toward, and / or the urge to conquer, a community or society as a whole. Defecating into a punch bowl is a very public act, in contrast with poisoning the well or laying an upper decker, which are generally surreptitious. In particular then, to be a turd in the punch bowl is to be a willful and attention-seeking obstructor to the success of a social community.
This metaphor is powered by a particularly vivid contrast: the inviting sensory appeal of a festive beverage juxtaposed with the revolting suggestion of feculent contagion. Therefore, labeling someone a turd in the punch bowl is most appropriate when the individual's deleterious influence goes beyond mere faux pas or nuisance behaviors, and rises to the level of deliberate offense for its own sake. Consider that the literal act of depositing or excreting fecal matter into a communal food-service container would be sabotage.
The punch bowl and the feces connote certain additional nuances. The former is a symbol of public community, as such dispensers are frequently encountered at parties where they become a focal point for interaction. Freud famously identified feces with aggression and the possessive instinct. Thus a turd in the punch bowl suggests rage toward, and / or the urge to conquer, a community or society as a whole. Defecating into a punch bowl is a very public act, in contrast with poisoning the well or laying an upper decker, which are generally surreptitious. In particular then, to be a turd in the punch bowl is to be a willful and attention-seeking obstructor to the success of a social community.
The turd in the punch bowl was Brian, who had to go rat out our awesome senior prank idea to the principal.
by Carl Willis March 2, 2011
Get the turd in the punch bowl mug."How did your date go last night?"
"It sucked, he drank too much so when he went down on me, I ended up with a hot lunchbowl!"
"are you going to go out with her again?"
"Hell no! Her cootch is so scangi, I went down on her and as soon as I got a whif I gave her a hot lunchbowl."
"It sucked, he drank too much so when he went down on me, I ended up with a hot lunchbowl!"
"are you going to go out with her again?"
"Hell no! Her cootch is so scangi, I went down on her and as soon as I got a whif I gave her a hot lunchbowl."
by vag lick January 11, 2014
Get the hot lunchbowl mug.Person 1: That was an awesome movie!
Person 2: Yeah, awesome special effects.
Person 3: I was so offended by that movie! Could you believe how many subliminal racist messages there were? I think we need to write a letter to the studio and tell them to ban this movie.
Later on...
Person 1: Brian's getting some guys together to go play football at his house.
Person 2: Cool, let me go get my cleats and we'll head over.
Person 3: Football's barbaric! So typical of American society to love a violent game like that!
Person 1: If you don't like it, then don't come! Jeez, why do you always have to be such a turd in a punch bowl?
Person 2: Yeah, awesome special effects.
Person 3: I was so offended by that movie! Could you believe how many subliminal racist messages there were? I think we need to write a letter to the studio and tell them to ban this movie.
Later on...
Person 1: Brian's getting some guys together to go play football at his house.
Person 2: Cool, let me go get my cleats and we'll head over.
Person 3: Football's barbaric! So typical of American society to love a violent game like that!
Person 1: If you don't like it, then don't come! Jeez, why do you always have to be such a turd in a punch bowl?
by Paul785 October 15, 2007
Get the turd in a punch bowl mug.