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In the proverbial toilet

Posted by Lewis on May 09, 2003

In Reply to: In the proverbial toilet posted by R.Berg on May 05, 2003

: :
: : My stock holdings are in the proverbial toilet.

: : What does "in the proverbial toilet"this mean?

: : Thanks.

: There is no proverbial toilet. The writer wants to say "My stock holdings are in the toilet." That means "My stock holdings have lost much of their value." Adding "proverbial" is a way of apologizing, a little, for using the cliché "in the toilet." It's like writing "My stock holdings are in the toilet, as they say."

: "Proverbial" should really be used only when a proverb is involved. "In the toilet" is a hackneyed slang phrase, but it isn't part of a proverb.

perhaps they mean "up **** creek without a paddle"?

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