What does it mean to be on a hiding to nothing?

What does it mean to be on a hiding to nothing?

Definition of on a hiding to nothing British, informal. : on the way to failure : certain to fail.

What is the origin of the phrase hiding to nothing?

Etymology. From horse racing, hiding (“beating”); to (“as used to express gambling odds”), e.g., 6 to 1. Literally, the phrase can be described as to bet on a contest whose outcome is at worst a beating, or at best nothing.

What does it mean to get a hiding?

1 informal A physical beating. ‘they caught him and gave him a hiding’ ‘In 1956, it was called getting a thrashing, or a hiding – or just ‘getting it’. ‘ ‘I don’t drink because I see a lot of people, they get hidings from their husbands.

What does hiding someone mean?

1a : to put out of sight : secrete hide a key under the doormat. b : to conceal for shelter or protection : shield They hid him from the police. 2 : to keep secret hide the truth.

What is codswallop?

: words or ideas that are foolish or untrue : nonsense The notion that Scott was waylaid by bad luck is “a lot of codswallop,” said Roland Huntford, a British historian.—

What is a Cowson?

Filters. (London slang, chiefly South London) Term of mild to medium abuse in reference to another person or a situation. noun.

Where are you hiding meaning?

If someone is in hiding, they have secretly gone somewhere where they cannot be seen or found.

What is another word for hiding something?

Some common synonyms of hide are bury, conceal, screen, and secrete.

What is another word for hiding away?

What is another word for hiding away?

secreting concealing
stonewalling covering up
stashing away stowing away
keeping under wraps squirreling away
hiding out papering over

What is the synonym of hiding?

Some common synonyms of hide are bury, conceal, screen, and secrete. While all these words mean “to withhold or withdraw from sight,” hide may or may not suggest intent.

Does hide have 2 meanings?

Hide, conceal, secrete mean to put out of sight or in a secret place. Hide is the general word: to hide one’s money or purpose; A dog hides a bone. Conceal, somewhat more formal, is to cover from sight: A rock concealed them from view.

What does’on a hiding to nothing’mean?

The saying ‘On a hiding to nothing’ – meaning and origin. What’s the meaning of the phrase ‘On a hiding to nothing’? To be faced with a situation which is pointless, as a successful outcome is impossible. This is usually expressed in terms of a sporting contest in which one of two outcomes is foreseen, either a hiding or nothing.

What does it mean to be on’hiding to nothing’?

If you are selling something that people don’t want, you are on a hiding to nothing. COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Collins!

What is a company director on a hiding to nothing?

Company directors are on a hiding to nothing when it comes to trusting their reputations to the accounting statements for which they are responsible. Can be used to describe any contested outcome.

Is the government on to nothing?

The government is on to a hiding to nothing, and it needs to sharpen up if it is not to be battered by all sides.