up the creek

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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American English.

Pronunciation

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Prepositional phrase

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up the creek

  1. (idiomatic) In trouble; in a difficult situation.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:difficult situation
    We'll be up the creek if we lose those files, so we should back them up regularly.
    • 1925, John Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer, New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, 3rd section, page 306:
      “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.”

Usage notes

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  • The addition of "without a paddle" in alternative forms is considered by some to suggest an intensification of the difficulty of the situation.

Synonyms

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Translations

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Further reading

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