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Vocabulary/Translations - meaning of an english expression - Language Exchange

Category: Vocabulary/Translations
Discussion: meaning of an english expression

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211562

meaning of an english expression
Hi! I am french, and in my english lesson I saw this expression: "to be up the proverbial creek without a paddle". What does it mean please??

Language pair: French; English

Sandy
November 9, 2014

211570

Re:meaning of an english expression
It means to be in a difficult situation without a solution. A person could be in a boat on a creek (small river) and if he doesn't have a paddle) he can't control the situation.

To be up a creek without the paddle ... that's the proverb. In your example, the person is saying I'm in the situation that the proverb tells us about (proverbial creek...not a real creek).

Language pair: French; English
This is a reply to message # 211562

LingoB
November 9, 2014

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