up the creek
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
American English.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Prepositional phrase edit
- (idiomatic) In trouble; in a difficult situation.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:difficult situation
- We'll be up the creek if we lose those files, so we should back them up regularly.
- 1925, John Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer, New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, 3rd section, page 306:
Usage notes edit
- The addition of "without a paddle" in alternative forms is considered by some to suggest an intensification of the difficulty of the situation.
Synonyms edit
Translations edit
in trouble — see in trouble