booger up
C1 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To mess something up or break it so it doesn't work right.
Literal meaning: To apply something resembling nasal mucus (a 'booger') onto something — implying contamination or fouling of a mechanism.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
informal
To ruin or spoil something, especially through carelessness or incompetence.
"Don't let him near the carburetor — he'll booger up the whole engine."
Grammar: separable
2 C1
idiomatic
informal
To clog or jam a mechanism so that it stops working properly.
"All that mud got in the gears and boogered up the whole machine."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Highly regional; found primarily in rural Southern United States. Considered crude or folksy by many speakers. Rarely used in writing. Interchangeable with 'mess up' or 'screw up' in those dialects.
Commonly used with
plans engine machine job works things
Forms
Base
booger up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
boogers up
he/she/it
Past simple
boogered up
yesterday
Past participle
boogered up
have + pp
-ing form
boogering up
continuous
Understand "booger up" better
Try:
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "booger up" on Looplines