What does the expression "in a pretty pickle" mean and Where does it come from?

The expression “in a pretty pickle” means: behind the 8-ball; the devil to pay and no pitch hot; in trouble; in a sorry plight.

The Dutch, from whom we borrowed “pickle” and also the original phrase some four or five hundred years ago, said in de pekel zitten, literally to sit in the salt liquor used for preserving vegetables and meats.

Such a bath, one can well imagine, would not long be comfortable.

what does the expression in a pretty pickle mean and where does it come from

From time to time through the years our forebears have intensified the expression in such manners as “ill pickle,” “sad pickle,” “sweet pickle,” and nowadays, “pretty pickle.”

Who Invented Pickles, What Does the Word Pickle Mean, and How Does Pickling Preserve Fruits and Vegetables? There is no known inventor of the pickle, because pickling has been around for a very long time. Pickling was a way to preserve food for out of season use and for long…
Where does the expression “to come out flat footed” come from and What does it mean? There are no ands, ifs, nor buts in the statement of one who "comes out flat footed"; you know exactly what he means and where he stands. We picture him as planted firmly…
Where does the expression “to come out at the little end of the horn” come from and What does it mean? The expression "to come out at the little end of the horn" means to fail in an undertaking; especially, to fail after one has bragged about a result that promised large returns. Such…
Where does the expression “come off your perch” come from and What does it mean? The expression "come off your perch" means: come down a peg or two; don't be too conceited, haughty, or arrogant. The allusion is to the twig serving as a resting place for a…
What does the expression “to get one’s come uppance” mean and Where does it come from? The expression "to get one's come uppance" means: To receive the fate one has merited; to get what is coming to one in the way of chastisement or rebuke. Though "come-uppance," in the…
Where does the expression “to be ahead of the game” come from and What does to come out ahead mean? We, in America, use the expression "to be ahead of the game" in two differing ways. Thus when we say, "Jeff is getting ahead in the store he has recently opened," we mean…

What does the expression “in a pretty pickle” mean and Where does it come from?

Related Posts

About Karen Hill