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.
Because the initial explanation was insufficient, the project fell into chaos from getting off on the wrong foot.
Those two have remained on bad terms due to a misunderstanding from the very start.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
Kana spelling of the verb part; common in everyday writing.
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.