IdiomThe Absurd
English
Englisha bottomless pit
Meaning: Something that uses up endless money or effort; also a person who is always hungry.
Example: “The old house became a bottomless pit of repairs.”
Origin: The King James Bible uses "bottomless pit" for the abyss of hell in the Book of Revelation. The figurative use for something that swallows resources came later.
Equivalents in other languages
Polish: studnia bez dna Literally: A well without a bottom
French: Le tonneau des Danaïdes Literally: The barrel of the Danaids
More English idioms
- in the middle of nowhere In a very remote place, far from towns.
- out of thin air Appearing from nowhere, as if by magic.
- be at a low ebb To be in a poor or weak state.
- sit on the fence To avoid taking sides.
- take an ax to To cut something drastically, especially spending or jobs.
- the four corners of the earth Every part of the world.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Pad kid poured curd pulled cod. Alternating repetition — the consonants swap at the start of every other word, which is w…
- Red lorry, yellow lorry. The 'l/r' alternation drill — deceptively short, yet almost impossible to say fast withou…
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A 'w/ch/ck' drill that accelerates comically — and nobody really knows the answer.
Keep exploring