Sink estate

Posted by Bruce Kahl on November 06, 2002

In Reply to: Sink estate posted by ESC on November 06, 2002

: : Looking for the origin of this phrase. Anybody can help?

: I'm not familiar with this term. Is it like "the projects," low-income housing, in the U.S.?

Yes, like "the projects".

Googling the phrase I found many references to the phrase but no firm definitions except the following excerpt from a novel which just may be the origin:

"Do you know why they call this a sink estate?' she asked Karen.

`No,' Karen replied. `Do you?'

`It's because we can't sink down any further,' Rosie laughed.

Then she thought for a moment. `Or because they've pulled the plug on us like we're just dirty bath water and they're letting us go down the plughole.'