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SuperESL Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
"Circle the drain"?
Hi,
I am not sure what the phrase "circle the drain" means in the following passage:
"There will never be serious gun control in the United States, and not only because its violence is usually vigilante violence. White people, who have enslaved, lynched, imprisoned, and impoverished black people for generations, are terrified that those they have subjugated will seek revenge. As the nation circles the drain, as the economy implodes and climate change brings with it apocalyptic weather patterns, white Americans, who are becoming a minority, cling to their assault weapons with even greater ferocity."
Is it an established phrase?
Thank you for your attention.
I am not sure what the phrase "circle the drain" means in the following passage:
"There will never be serious gun control in the United States, and not only because its violence is usually vigilante violence. White people, who have enslaved, lynched, imprisoned, and impoverished black people for generations, are terrified that those they have subjugated will seek revenge. As the nation circles the drain, as the economy implodes and climate change brings with it apocalyptic weather patterns, white Americans, who are becoming a minority, cling to their assault weapons with even greater ferocity."
Is it an established phrase?
Thank you for your attention.
Top answer
Ok, imagine water as it goes around and around as it goes into the drain or plughole, so I think the writer is implying that the nation is on it's way 'down the drain'...
- Ok, imagine water as it goes around and around as it goes into the drain or plughole, so I think the writer is implying that the nation is on it's way 'down the drain'...
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7 Answers
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Ok, imagine water as it goes around and around as it goes into the drain or plughole, so I think the writer is implying that the nation is on it's way 'down the drain'...
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Thank you.
I was wondering how commonplace this phrase is. Is it a stock phrase, or is it more a creative effort on the part of this particular writer?
I understand what the phrase is meant to convey after reading your explanation, but I wonder how likely it is that most people - including native speakers - would immediately grasp it upon seeing it, or even if they realize right
I was wondering how commonplace this phrase is. Is it a stock phrase, or is it more a creative effort on the part of this particular writer?
I understand what the phrase is meant to convey after reading your explanation, but I wonder how likely it is that most people - including native speakers - would immediately grasp it upon seeing it, or even if they realize right
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The expression used in the article was intended as a metaphor. It talked about the black and white history and other social problems plauging the nation. " Something going down the drain " is the colloquial expression. If something goes down the drain, especially money or work, it is wasted or produces no results.
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SuperESLIs it a stock phrase, or is it more a creative effort on the part of this particular writer?It's a stock phrase.
SuperESLI wonder how likely it is that most people - including native speakers - would immediately grasp it upon seeing itExtremely likely. It's a well-known idiom to express precipitous decline and imm
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Thank you.
I know that 'going down the drain' is a commonplace idiom. And I am sure most native speakers would have no problem connecting "circle the drain" with "go down the drain." I was just uncertain if "circle the drain" was a creative spin on the well-established "go down the drain," or if it is a stock phrase in and of itself.
I know that 'going down the drain' is a commonplace idiom. And I am sure most native speakers would have no problem connecting "circle the drain" with "go down the drain." I was just uncertain if "circle the drain" was a creative spin on the well-established "go down the drain," or if it is a stock phrase in and of itself.
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SuperESLor if it is a stock phrase in and of itself.Now you're getting into a search for a very subtle and refined definition of "stock phrase", which may not exist.
I have heard "circle the drain" on many, many occasions, but I don't know if has yet risen to the status of "stock phrase".
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Thanks. If you have seen 'circle the drain' many times before then for me that's enough to justify seeing the phrase as an established usage - I agree whether I should call it a stock phrase or not is another issue - in and of itself. For me a phrase is a stock phrase when it gets listed in a well-respected dictionary like the OED. That's only me, of course.
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