mulligan
UK[ˈmʌlɪɡən]US[ˈmʌlɪɡən]
n
A stroke in golf that is played again without penalty, not counted on the scorecard, when the previous shot was poor.
n
A second chance to perform an action or task after an initial failure or mistake.
Etymology
The term 'mulligan' is an eponym, originating from the surname Mulligan. Its specific connection to golf is attributed to Canadian-American amateur golfer David Bernard Mulligan, who, according to popular lore from the 1920s, claimed the right to replay a poor drive during a friendly match. The name was subsequently adopted into golfing parlance to describe this informal, extra shot granted by fellow players. From this sporting context, the word broadened semantically into general usage, signifying any informal second chance or opportunity to start over after an initial error.
Analysis
This is a proper noun adopted into common usage. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in English.
Examples
On the first tee, he was so nervous he shanked his drive, so his partners let him take a mulligan.
The software demo crashed, but the client was kind enough to give us a mulligan and schedule another meeting.
Think of this rehearsal as a mulligan; don't worry about the mistakes, just get comfortable with the stage.