I'm writing a marketing copy and encountered the need for an idiom that means "forgetting and thus missing an opportunity or deadline". The expression I'm looking for is informal. The target audience is mainly North Americans.
I found the phrase "miss the boat", but came to the conclusion that it's not very commonly used. I'm looking for something that's at least as common as "drop the ball".
Another reason why I don't feel "miss the boat" is appropriate is that the opportunities I'm talking about here are smaller opportunities — nothing life-changing. Examples include forgetting to follow up with a client or not filing tax on time.
An example sentence would be "Never ___________ or feel overwhelmed again."
Best Answer
"Miss the bus" is very common.
Collins dictionary says it means "to miss an opportunity; be too late".
I think this fits the requirement of OP squarely.