denial is not a river in Egypt en · X
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
A pun on denial and the Nile.
Meanings
-
(humorous) Used to point out that somebody is in a state of psychological denial.
“Denial is not a river in Egypt,” began the first orientation lecture I ever attended in rehab, “but a lot of people build themselves palatial, twelve-room houseboats and live there for years, maybe the rest of their entire, unhappy lives.”
2004, Bill Manville, Cool, Hip & Sober: 88 Ways to Beat Booze and Drugs, Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 68:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| denial ain't a river in Egypt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| denial ain't just a river in Egypt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| denial is a river in Egypt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| denial isn't just a river in Egypt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| denial isn't a river in Egypt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| denial is not just a river in Egypt | alternative | lexicographic |