The word “inept” is frequently used to highlight a lack of skill or unsuitability in various contexts, from personal relationships to institutional competence. Writers deploy it to cast characters or actions in a critically inadequate light, such as describing a husband’s misfortune with an unskillful wife [1] or critiquing a diplomat’s bungling efforts [2]. It also appears to underscore clumsy expressions or ill-chosen words that reveal more about a character’s inner disarray than their intended impression [3, 4]. Beyond individual behavior, “inept” critiques broader ventures, whether labeling ineffective management [5, 6] or rejecting interpretations that clash with expected meanings [7]. In these ways, the term serves as a concise commentary on failure, often embedding humor or irony within the narrative and inviting readers to see the gap between aspiration and ability [8, 9].