Going from bad to worse

Origin

The simple, stark imagery of "going from bad to worse" is so universally understood that it feels like it has always been part of the language. And in many ways, it has. This phrase, capturing the frustrating reality of a deteriorating situation, finds its roots deep in English literature. Chaucer, in his 14th-century "The Tale of Melibee," explored the concept of conditions "turn[ing] into worse" when ill-managed. However, the exact phrasing we use today solidified in the 16th century, appearing prominently in works like John Heywood’s "Proverbs" (1546), which noted how "things well go, but they go from bad to worse." This early usage cemented its place in the English lexicon, evolving from a simple comparison into a vivid, enduring idiom for inescapable decline.