Table of Contents
Where did the expression over a barrel come from?
This slangy expression, first recorded in 1938, supposedly alludes to reviving a drowning victim by placing the body head down over a barrel and rolling it back and forth, so as to empty the lungs of water. The expression survives, although happily the practice does not.
What does hitting the bottom of the barrel mean?
Definition of the bottom of the barrel : the lowest possible condition, level, etc. After the divorce, Tim felt he had reached/hit the bottom of the barrel. The excessive coverage of the scandal signals that the news media may have finally hit/reached the bottom of the barrel.
What does hole in a barrel mean?
A bunghole is a hole bored in a liquid-tight barrel to remove contents.
What is scraping the barrel?
informal (UK also scrape the barrel) to use the worst people or things because that is all that is available: Richard’s in the team? You really are scraping the bottom of the barrel!
Whats the difference between a jackpot and a rodeo?
Jackpot horses generally go once a weekend to an event and stay for a couple days in one location. In contrast, rodeo horses are on the road a lot, sometimes even four or five rodeos in a weekend.
What does the phrase’over a barrel’mean?
What’s the meaning of the phrase ‘Over a barrel’? To be ‘over a barrel’ is to be left without choice; in someone else’s power. What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Over a barrel’?
What is the origin of the phrase’draping someone over a barrel’?
This is an American phrase and first appeared in the late-19th century. It alludes to the actual situation of being draped over a barrel, either to empty the lungs of someone who has been close to drowning, or to give a flogging. Either way, the position of helplessness and in being under someone else’s control is what is being referred to.
What does it mean to hang a person over a barrel?
It is a nautical term, which derives from the practice of hanging a drowned, usually unconscious person over a barrel to clear their lungs of water. The fate of the “patient” was determined solely by the actions of those administering the treatment.
What does roll the body over the barrel mean?
This slangy expression, first recorded in 1938, supposedly alludes to reviving a drowning victim by placing the body head down over a barrel and rolling it back and forth, so as to empty the lungs of water. The expression survives, although happily the practice does not.