sophomore slump
underachieve
strike out looking
flat out
wave-off
overshoot
go-around
near miss
second
failure
ambitionless
push shit uphill
unambitious
futile
muddle through
go nowhere
push one's luck
sleeper
spoil the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar
unlikely
law of diminishing returns
countereffort
miss the mark
nonsuccess
a magician never reveals his secrets
unsuccessiveness
vain
bootless
sleeveless
fruitless
do-or-die
kutcha
nonfailure
unsuccessful
clutch
copout
waterproof
sluggishness
manage
fail
be careful what you wish for
God hates a coward
counterdifficulty
close, but no cigar
unsuccess
die on the vine
for the loss
pull off
the wheels fell off
drop in the bucket
old college try
fight a losing battle
let the grass grow under one's feet
go to the wall
to no purpose
fall back
dog it
wing and prayer
dinq
indirectness
worst
counterproductive
disappoint
let down
swing and a miss
indecision
would it hurt
underachievement
a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
only
ideal-seeking behavior
imperviableness
constipated
misfire
go wrong
inexact
midlist
imperviability
the game is not worth the candle
first olive out of the bottle
nonconsequence
the cobbler always wears the worst shoes
square one
fall short of
disadvantaged
in the tank
obstacle-ridden
fall between two stools
for lack of trying
miss
undetectability
unsucceeding
imperfectibility
difficulty
difficultness
whistle in the wind