Can you ever truly escape the shadow of a past mistake? The phrasal verb “live down” captures this very struggle — the effort to overcome a shameful or embarrassing event that others continue to remember. Unlike the verb “forget,” which is internal and personal, “live down” speaks to the social memory of a mistake — it’s not about whether you remember it, but whether they do. For example:
- “He’ll never live down that awful performance.”
- “She’s been trying to live down her teenage rebellion for years.”
In Turkish, this idea is often conveyed with expressions like “unutturmak”, “üzerinden atmak”, or “bu utancı silememek”.
- “Bu skandalı bir ömür boyu unutturamayacak.”
- “O hatayı hâlâ üzerinden atamadı.”
As one might say: “Some things you never live down. You just learn to live with.” – Unknown
Here are some more examples:
- “I spilled coffee on my boss during the meeting — I’m never going to live that down.”
- “He came to school wearing mismatched shoes once. He hasn’t lived it down since.”
- “She tried karaoke once, and let’s just say, she’s still trying to live it down.”
- “He made a poor decision in his youth, and despite changing his life, some people won’t let him live it down.”
- “The scandal ruined her reputation. Even after all these years, she hasn’t lived it down.”
- “I hurt someone I loved, and I don’t think I’ll ever live it down.”
- “I accidentally called my teacher ‘Mom’ in front of the whole class. I’ll never live it down.”
- “He got lost during a hiking trip he planned himself. His friends still tease him — he can’t live it down.”
- “She tripped and fell during the wedding procession. Poor thing, she’s been trying to live it down ever since.”
- “After forgetting his anniversary, he knew he wouldn’t live it down with his wife.”
- “He once mistook the CEO for a janitor. He’ll never live it down at the office.”
- “That viral video of me dancing terribly? Yeah, I’ll never live it down.”
- “She mispronounced the winner’s name during the awards ceremony. It was painful to watch — and hard to live down.”
- “He got so nervous during his presentation that he froze completely. He’s still trying to live it down.”
Some examples in Turklish.
- “O gafı hâlâ unutturamadı.”
- → “He still hasn’t been able to live down that blunder.”
- “Gençliğinde yaptığı hatayı bir türlü üzerinden atamadı.”
- → “He just hasn’t been able to live down the mistake he made in his youth.”
- “Bu utancı ne yapsa silemiyor.”
- → “No matter what he does, he can’t live down this shame.”
Some Anonymous Quotes for You:
“Some reputations take years to build and seconds to destroy — and a lifetime to live down.”
“You can apologize, you can change — but some people will never let you live it down.”
“The town remembered. That’s the part he couldn’t live down.”
In this heartfelt episode of our podcast put into words by Ophelia Paraphernalia,we will see how she reflects on her profound regrets surrounding her stepmother’s illness and the essential lessons she learned about love and communication. Click the player below to listen to the podcast or read the article here.
Note. VoKaPedia also has a dedicated podcast section where you can find a variety of engaging episodes. I’d definitely recommend exploring it—you might discover something new and inspiring to listen to. Go to VoKaPedia Podcasts now.