To go down the drain
Meaning
To be completely wasted, lost, or ruined.
Origin
Before the age of modern plumbing, waste simply accumulated or was haphazardly disposed of. But as the 19th and 20th centuries brought widespread adoption of intricate drainage systems, a new, stark image entered daily life: objects and water vanishing irrevocably down a pipe. A small coin, a child's toy, or dirty dishwater—once it disappeared into that dark opening, it was gone forever, swallowed by the hidden network beneath the streets. This tangible, everyday experience of irretrievable loss quickly spawned the phrase, creating a vivid metaphor for any effort, money, or resource that disappears completely, leaving nothing but an empty feeling behind.
Examples
- All their hard work on the project seemed to go down the drain when the funding was unexpectedly pulled.
- She felt her entire savings might go down the drain if the stock market continued its dramatic crash.