Meaning
Certain to fail, or unable to gain much even if successful. The traditional form ends in 'nothing'. 'Nowhere' is a genuine but later reshaping. Regional use: British English.
Origin
The expression appears in British horse-racing reports around 1900. A 'hiding' is a beating, while 'to nothing' resembles the form of betting odds: the possible outcomes are humiliation or no worthwhile reward. The later substitution 'nowhere' reflects speakers losing sight of the older wording.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- A hiding to nothing
- On a hiding to nowhere
Usage Examples
- Any referee in that bitter final was on a hiding to nothing before the whistle blew.
- Without access to the archive, the researchers were on a hiding to nothing.