Have you ever invested time or money into something only to find that your efforts didn\u2019t pan out? Perhaps you loaned someone money and they never paid you back? If so, then the idiom \u201cdown the drain\u201d is a great idiom that can apply to your situation. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n
The phrase \u201cdown the drain\u201d 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you invest in little researched ventures, you are not doing more than pouring money down the drain\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter spending a whole month working on that report, the teacher changed my thesis topic which means all that time went down the drain\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cFighting a war in another country is the same as pouring down the drain, it\u2019s better to shore up our defenses at home instead\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI have prepared a detailed business plan for this venture so you can rest assured that your money is not going down the drain\u201d.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\nExample Usage<\/h2>\n
Origin<\/h2>\n