up the creek en · ADP
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
American English.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) In trouble; in a difficult situation.
We'll be up the creek if we lose those files, so we should back them up regularly.
“Then we would be up the creek. You can be extradited for grand larceny. Jez you wouldnt^([sic]) have me goin^([sic]) round with dark glasses and false whiskers all my life.”
1925, John Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, 3rd section, page 306:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| up a creek | alternative | lexicographic | |
| up the creek without a paddle | alternative | lexicographic | |
| up a creek without a paddle | alternative | lexicographic |