Englishdown and out
Meaning: Poor.
Example: “Years ago he was down and out; now he runs a homeless shelter.”
Equivalents in other languages
French: Sur la paille Literally: On the straw
Origin: Boxing supplies both halves, and they mean different things. A fighter who is down has been knocked to the canvas but may rise before the count finishes; a fighter who is out has not, and the bout is over. Down and out together therefore names the complete version rather than the recoverable one, which is exactly the force the idiom carries — not temporary misfortune but the end of the contest. The phrase is American and early twentieth-century, and it fits a second reading so neatly that the two reinforce each other: down in circumstances and out of the running. George Orwell's account of destitution in Paris and London, published in 1933, did a great deal to fix it in British usage as well.
More English idioms
- dyed in the wool Having a trait that is thoroughly ingrained or basic to one's nature.
- eager beaver A person who is very excited and enthusiastic about pursuing some activity.
- eat one's hat To do something unpleasant in the case of being proven wrong.
- eleventh hour Late or last-minute.
- eternal triangle A situation in which two men love the same woman or two women love the same man.
- every Tom, Dick and Harry Everyone.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
- Oldtimer Actually means 'vintage car' or 'classic aircraft'. A veteran person is ein Veteran.
- Camera Actually means 'room'. A camera (device) is una macchina fotografica.
- Pretendere Actually means 'to demand' or 'to expect'. Pretende troppo = He demands too much.
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