deep six
To discard, get rid of, or cancelTo discard, get rid of, or cancel; to completely put an end to something.
Meaning
2 senses(idiomatic, informal, transitive)To discard, get rid of, or cancel; to completely put an end to something.
They had put many hundreds of hours into the project before it was deep-sixed by management.
beerdigen, versenken
(idiomatic, informal, transitive, uncommon)To submerge (something) in water.
Translations
1 languagesOrigin
First use appears c. 1929 as a noun, most likely from the nautical cry by the deep six indFirst use appears c. 1929 as a noun, most likely from the nautical cry by the deep six indicating a depth of six fathoms (36 feet, 11 metres) as measured by a sounding line (a depth at which something thrown overboard would be difficult to recover), though possibly also a reference to the common depth of graves (six feet). Attested since the 1950s as a verb.
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Forms
deep sixes, deep sixing, deep sixed, deep sixed| Base form | deep six · to deep six |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | deep sixes |
| Present participle | deep sixing |
| Past simple | deep sixed |
| Past participle | deep sixed |
regular
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle