"Balls up" is a fun bit of a saying. It's slang that just feels good to throw around. You might be able to figure out from context what the expected meaning is, but we'll lay it out anyway. That way, if you decide to throw it out in conversation, you'll be prepared and won't go "balls up" with it by mistake.

Origin of Balls Up

That serves as your first example of what "balls up" means. "Balls up" is an old phrase originating well over a hundred years ago. There is controversy on where it originated and what context it originally was said, but some think it first surfaced in the United States, while it isn't so commonly heard there in the modern era.

It's commonly thought to have entered into common slang during World War One, where it was thrown around frequently in the trenches. Its usage in the United States half a century earlier calls this into question, however, and it's a little hard to pinpoint where it truly originated from.

"The Middle Parts of Fortune", by Fredric Manning, is a 1929 novel following some men in the trenches of World War One. Here, it is attributed to an Australian, but this doesn't clarify so much as confuse--did it start in the UK and get brought into the US from there? Or did the US bring it to the UK during the first World War? Academic experts on slang just aren't sure.

Some even think it has to do with the throttle of old fighter planes. The bottom line is that there is no clear knowledge of where it began or how it began. All that matters now is that it does have a clear meaning and we think it's too funny to forget and not use. This site is dedicated to getting more Americans using the term.

So even though the origination is suspect, the phrase today both in the US and the UK, "balls up" means "botched", "ruined" or "screwed-up" This is consistent across the pond in its usage; no matter where it came from, it means the same thing, and it seems it always has. With that in mind, it's easy to see how you can throw it around to get your point across.

It's generally regarded as a coarse saying, if not profane, but if you know your audience it's sure to punctuate what you're trying to say. Used appropriately channeling a bit of the goofy charisma of Johnny English, it might even lighten the mood before you have to announce some bad news about something going "balls up".

How to Use Balls Up

Consider the following example:

"I'm sorry about the order, boss. I thought I had him on the hook, but then he asked about our competitors, and the whole thing went balls up from there."
The speaker could also say "he asked about our competitors, and the whole thing fell apart," or "it was all screwed up from there". "Fell apart" implies a certain hopelessness: the deal fell apart and presumably can't be put together. "It was screwed up from there" implies a certain aggressiveness or blame-laying: things aren't screwed up passively, someone has to do the screwing-up. Saying "balls up", in addition to sounding humorous, sounds much more passive. No one wrecked it, it's no one's fault--the whole thing just went balls up.

You can also use this as an adjective for mood:

"How are you?"
"Ugh, balls up."
It's more evocative than "exhausted", "worn out" or "stretched thin". "Balls up" implies you're feeling whipped and are still pulling yourself back together. However, as with the previous example, it takes the aggressive tone and agency out of it. "Balls up" becomes a harmless descriptor.

"Ball up" becomes the verb form easily enough, but it does muddy the waters with respect to meaning. It's common practice to describe something that goes "balls up" as a "ball up", but not as common to refer to something being "balled up". While we don't see this in print and scripts as much, the intention is plain enough to understand. As long as anyone knows what you mean by "balls up", they'll know what you mean by "ball up" or "balled up".

With a clear definition for what it means to go "balls up", you can fairly confidently assert the term into your slang lexicon. It's not the classiest way to say somethings gone wrong, but it is humorous and nonthreatening. If you're trying to break something negative to someone with a sense of humor, you might consider using it. If you know your audience right, it might keep the whole conversation from going balls up.