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misfire

 [v. mis-fiuhr; n. mis-fahyuhr]   Origin

mis·fire

   [v. mis-fiuhr; n. mis-fahyuhr] verb, -fired, -fir·ing, noun
verb (used without object)
1.
(of a rifle or gun or of a bullet or shell) to fail to fire or explode.
2.
(of an internal-combustion engine) to fail to ignite properly or when expected.
3.
to fail to achieve the desired result, effect, etc.: His criticisms completely misfired.
noun
4.
an act or instance of misfiring.

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So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.
to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.
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Origin:
1745–55; mis-1 + fire
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To misfire
Collins
World English Dictionary
misfire (ˌmɪsˈfaɪə)
 
—vb
1.  (of a firearm or its projectile) to fail to fire, explode, or ignite as or when expected
2.  (of a motor engine or vehicle, etc) to fail to fire at the appropriate time, often causing a backfire
3.  to fail to operate or occur as intended
 
—n
4.  the act or an instance of misfiring

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

misfire
1752, of a gun, 1905, of an internal combustion engine; see mis- (1) + fire (v.). The noun is attested from 1839.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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