1. I really laid an egg when I asked that elderly woman how old she was. I was just curious, but I should have known it was the wrong thing to do.
2. Everyone stopped talking and looked at the young man in disbelief when he asked Mr. Thomas about his salary. The young man had really laid an egg.

Compare to: bomb. Whereas bomb is usually applied to creative activities (e. g. , a play, a book, a movie, an idea) that fail on a grand scale, lay an egg is usually applied to something that is socially embarrassing on a small scale.