Meaning
In a difficult, disadvantageous, or awkward position from which there is no easy escape. Originally and chiefly American; widely understood elsewhere, though British speakers often reach for 'snookered' or 'in a tight spot' instead. Informal American idiom; stresses entrapment or disadvantage more than general difficulty. Regional use: American English.
Origin
The Phrase Finder traces the phrase to December 1929, in Wisconsin's Sheboygan Press, in a remark about baseball manager Bill McKechnie, after which it appears frequently in American newspapers; the site classifies it as American-born. The derivation is disputed. The usual explanation is standard eight-ball pool, in which balls must be pocketed in numbered order, the black eight blocks shots or sits dangerously in the way, a player forfeits a turn if the cue ball strikes it first, and potting it by mistake loses the game - so the eight can leave you stuck. A rival theory ties the phrase to Kelly pool, where players assigned balls numbered above eight were unlikely to win. The Phrase Finder rejects the Kelly pool theory as less plausible, noting that no parallel forms such as 'behind the seven ball' arose, the wording does not fit Kelly pool terminology, and the documented early sense is a tight spot rather than a slim chance of victory.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- be behind the eight ball
- behind the 8-ball
- find yourself behind the eight ball
- put someone behind the eight ball
Usage Examples
- With two defenders injured and a packed schedule, the club began the tie firmly behind the eight ball.
- Late filing penalties put the young firm behind the eight ball before negotiations even started.
- If the shipment slips again we will be right behind the eight ball for the holiday launch.