English Explanatory Dictionary

hiding to nothing

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A situation in which victory has little or no value, but defeat has a huge cost.

Pronunciation

en-au-hiding to nothing.ogg

Word forms

hiding to nothing hidings 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. A heavily favoured team in a sporting contest earns no credit for victory, but is shamed by defeat; this team is said to be on a hiding to nothing.

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