Have you ever invested time or money into something only to find that your efforts didn’t pan out? Perhaps you loaned someone money and they never paid you back? If so, then the idiom “down the drain” is a great idiom that can apply to your situation. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The phrase “down the drain” means that something has been wasted. The phrase generally refers to the wastage of money, but modern usage also includes time. When someone says their money, time, or effort has all gone down the drain, they mean that what they put forth has been wasted. It can also mean underutilized or unappreciated depending on the specific context.
Another meaning of the phrase down the drain is that whatever has been done is a futile activity. Being in a state of ruin or waste is also a common meaning of the phrase. It can be used in both past tense and present tense, such as in will be lost in the near future.
Example Usage
“When you invest in little researched ventures, you are not doing more than pouring money down the drain”.
“After spending a whole month working on that report, the teacher changed my thesis topic which means all that time went down the drain”.
“Fighting a war in another country is the same as pouring down the drain, it’s better to shore up our defenses at home instead”.
“I have prepared a detailed business plan for this venture so you can rest assured that your money is not going down the drain”.
Origin
The phrase down the drain can be traced back to the start of the 1900s. The phrase was used to explain that certain actions have no benefits, such as washing water down the drain. There is no exact point of origin for the phrase, however, it has been found in print in various forms starting in 1903 and going up till modern times. One notable use of the phrase was in 1954 when it was printed in the Charleston Daily Mail. During an interview with a former shot-put record holder, he stated that his past records and achievements all went down the drain.
Even earlier, the colloquial form of the phrase can be found as early as 1920. The phrase water going down the drain and being carried off was used as a metaphor. The phrase was used to explain useless activities or actions, or investments that bore no fruit.
Phrases Similar to Down The Drain
- All gone
- Doomed
- Finish
- By the Board
- Down the tubes
- Done for
- Kaput
Phrases Opposite to Down The Drain
- Worthy effort
- Paying off
- Just desserts
- Paying dividends
What is the Correct Saying?
- The proper way to say the phrase is - down the drain.
Ways People May Incorrectly Say Down The Drain
Some ways that Down The Drain is used incorrectly are:
- The more work you put into your business, the less effort goes down the drain.
- Only those who aspire for greatness let their efforts go down the drain into obscurity.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Down The Drain
Some ways that Down The Drain is used correctly are:
- Playing with tokens while gambling away real money is down the drain, it is better to use your money on tangible investments.
- Jane invested a lot of money on her podcast setup, but now that she realized getting monetized is not in the cards, it's money down the drain.
- After dating John for more than 5 years, he decided that he is not interested in getting married. Not only am I heartbroken, but all my time also went down the drain.
- Too many people think that putting money into their IRA is pouring down the drain, but in fact, it is an investment into the future.