It slipped through the cracks
The idiom “It slipped through the cracks” is often used to describe a situation where something was overlooked or missed unintentionally. It means that something was not noticed or addressed because it fell between the cracks, or the gaps, in a system or process. Imagine a scenario where you have a pile of papers on your desk, and you’re trying to organize them. As you’re going through the stack, you accidentally drop one of the papers, and it slips through the cracks or gaps between the desk and the floor. In this case, the paper was not intentionally ignored, but it was simply missed because it fell through the cracks.
This idiom is commonly used in different contexts, such as work, projects, or even personal matters. It implies that something was unintentionally overlooked or neglected due to a lack of attention or a flaw in the system. If a company is going through a busy period and receives a large number of emails, it’s possible that some important emails might slip through the cracks. This means that due to the high volume of emails, some messages might not receive the attention they deserve and could be unintentionally missed or overlooked. Similarly, in a project management setting, if there are multiple tasks and responsibilities, it’s possible for a task to slip through the cracks. This means that the task might not be properly assigned or monitored, resulting in it being unintentionally neglected or forgotten.