• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Expression “In Hot Water” Originate When Someone Is In Trouble and What Does the Phrase Mean?

Where Did the Expression “In Hot Water” Originate When Someone Is In Trouble and What Does the Phrase Mean?

July 29, 2020 by Karen Hill

Before there were trials by jury, there were trials by ordeal.

The ordeal depended on the crime, but if it carried the death penalty the accused could find himself in hot water.

The defendant was forced into a large cauldron of boiling water, and if he survived he was clearly innocent, but on the other hand if he died he must have committed the crime because the Supreme Being hadn’t interfered.

We say that someone in serious trouble is “in hot water”.

Related Facts

  • Where does the expression "in hot water" come from and What does in hot water mean?
  • How Did the Phrase "Mad As a Hatter" For Someone Irrational Originate and What Does the Expression Mean?
  • Why Does Hot Water and Dishwashing Detergent Clean Dirty Dishes Better Than Cold Water?
  • Why Does Hot Water Put In the Freezer Freeze Faster Than Cold Water and How Is Convection a Factor?
  • How Does Hot Water Freeze Faster Than Cold Water?
  • Why Does Hot Water Freeze Faster Than Cold Water?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where Did the Term “Tariff” For a Charge On Imports and Exports Originate and What Does the Word Mean?
Next Post: What Does “A Whole New Ball of Wax” Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy