Up the creek

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Meaning

In a tough or hopeless spot, stuck with no easy way out.

Origin

From 19th-century America, short for 'up the creek without a paddle,' tied to explorers or loggers stranded in backwaters; slang by the 1860s. A 1884 'Harper's Magazine' uses it for a lost hunter. WWII GIs spread it as 'up shit creek,' softened later, growing into a pithy idiom of plight from rugged roots.

Variants

  • Up a creek

Usage Examples

  • Forgot the keys? We're up the creek now!
  • He's up the creek with no backup plan.
  • Missed the deadline; we're really up the creek.

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