Englishin hot water
Meaning: In trouble.
Example: “He's in hot water with his boss for missing the deadline.”
Other ways to say this
Portuguese: estar com a corda no pescoço Literally: To be with the rope around the neck- English: up the creek without a paddle
French: Être dans de beaux draps Literally: To be in fine sheets
Czech: Být v rejži Literally: To be in the rice- French: Être dans la mouise Literally: To be in the gruel
Origin: On record in English from the 1530s, though no source manages to settle on a single confirmed origin for the image. One candidate is purely culinary: anything dropped into hot water gets thoroughly cooked, a fair description of what happens to someone caught in real trouble. A second reaches for a medieval judicial ordeal, in which an accused person's arm was plunged into boiling water, with a clean, quickly healing burn taken as a sign of innocence — genuine danger with a real chance of vindication built in. A third points to an older wartime custom of defenders pouring boiling water down on attackers trying to breach a wall, a hostile reception meant to make trespassers reconsider fast. All three keep the same core image: water hot enough that no one steps into it by choice.
More English idioms
- skate on thin ice In an unsafe or risky position.
- out of a clear blue sky Without warning.
- play with fire To invite disaster by doing something foolish, dangerous, or risky.
- see which way the wind blows To determine what stance to take based on what others want, even though such actions or w…
- shoot the breeze To chat or to pass time by chatting; to talk idly.
- stick-in-the-mud Someone who is seen as never wanting to take part in fun activities.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Tu es mon rayon de soleil A warm way to tell someone they brighten your day.
- Joli comme un cœur Utterly charming or adorable.
- Tu as un cœur d'or You are genuinely kind and generous.
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