slippery slope
a bad situation that will probably get much worse
TRANSLATION
slippery slope = eine heikle Lage, die schiefe Bahn, das Dammbruchargument slippery slope = eine Handlung oder Situation, die dazu führt dass sich die Lage zunehmend verschlimmert (Domino-Effekt) --- GOOGLE INDEX slippery slope: approximately 4,000,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Switzerland's immigration poll marks the top of a SLIPPERY SLOPE
(Financial Times)
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Canada's health care industry is already on a SLIPPERY SLOPE to accepting euthanasia and it may soon turn into a full-blown avalanche, warns Alex Schadenberg.
(www.catholicregister.com)
(Financial Times)
---
Canada's health care industry is already on a SLIPPERY SLOPE to accepting euthanasia and it may soon turn into a full-blown avalanche, warns Alex Schadenberg.
(www.catholicregister.com)
Did you
know?
slippery slope
idiom
- a bad situation or habit that, after it has started, is likely to get very much worse
(Cambridge Dictionary)
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A slippery slope is a process or series of events that is hard to stop or control once it has begun and that usually leads to worse or more difficult things (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). It stems from the idea of standing precariously on a mountainside covered with snow and/or ice, which of course can lead to a dangerous slide that is difficult to stop.
A slippery surface is one that is difficult if not impossible to maintain one's footing on. This is the origin of the famous saying "slippery when wet," which is often used as a warning for pedestrians and drivers when the sidewalks and roads are wet or icy.
A slippery slope is also a term in the field of ethics. It describes an argument which says that if we allow something relatively harmless today, we may start a trend that results in something currently unthinkable becoming accepted. (BBC Religion & Ethics page)
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SYNONYMS
Pandora's Box, domino theory, ripple effect
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Paying for political favours is a slippery slope which often ends in political ruin."
---
Thanks to Christian for suggesting today's word!
idiom
- a bad situation or habit that, after it has started, is likely to get very much worse
(Cambridge Dictionary)
---
A slippery slope is a process or series of events that is hard to stop or control once it has begun and that usually leads to worse or more difficult things (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). It stems from the idea of standing precariously on a mountainside covered with snow and/or ice, which of course can lead to a dangerous slide that is difficult to stop.
A slippery surface is one that is difficult if not impossible to maintain one's footing on. This is the origin of the famous saying "slippery when wet," which is often used as a warning for pedestrians and drivers when the sidewalks and roads are wet or icy.
A slippery slope is also a term in the field of ethics. It describes an argument which says that if we allow something relatively harmless today, we may start a trend that results in something currently unthinkable becoming accepted. (BBC Religion & Ethics page)
---
SYNONYMS
Pandora's Box, domino theory, ripple effect
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Paying for political favours is a slippery slope which often ends in political ruin."
---
Thanks to Christian for suggesting today's word!
