Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
1,018,633,613 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

behind the eight ball

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia 0.04 sec.
behind the eight ball
in a difficult situation. Simpson's thoughtless remarks put him behind the eight ball, and many people thought he should resign.
Etymology: from the game of pool (= a game played on a special table with sticks and numbered balls), in which you do not want to have any ball positioned behind the black ball marked with a number 8
See also: ball, behind, eight

?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
? References in periodicals archive
We fell behind the eight ball tonight and needed kind of a kick-start and I was able to provide that.
Worldwide shortages of high-quality big ore reserves have put companies behind the eight ball as they scramble to find new deposits.
firms are behind the eight ball, and it's also no surprise that they may benefit from private ownership.
 
Idioms browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Idioms and phrases
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.. Terms of Use.