expression, noun
getting off on the wrong foot; being at cross-purposes from the start
Idiomatic expression derived from the literal image of misbuttoning a shirt. Used when a relationship, plan, or communication goes wrong from the very beginning due to a small initial mistake or misunderstanding.
最初の説明が足りなくて、プロジェクトはボタンの掛け違いから大混乱になった。
Because the initial explanation was insufficient, the project fell into chaos from getting off on the wrong foot.
あの二人はボタンの掛け違いでずっと仲が悪いままだ。
Those two have remained on bad terms due to a misunderstanding from the very start.
行き違い refers to a simple miscommunication or crossing of messages, while ボタンの掛け違い emphasizes that the misalignment happened at the very beginning and affected everything that followed.
すれ違い describes people missing each other or failing to connect, often physically or emotionally, without the strong implication of an initial mistake that ボタンの掛け違い carries.
Literally 'misbuttoning', from ボタン (button) + の + 掛け違い (mis-hooking). The figurative meaning is a natural extension of the image of starting wrong and everything being off from the beginning.