English

Alternative forms

• up **** creek without a paddle, up ****'s creek, up ****'s creek without a paddle

Adjective

up **** creek

1. (idiomatic) In trouble; in a difficult situation.

Usage notes

• The addition of "without a paddle" in alternative forms is considered by some to suggest an intensification of the difficulty of the situation.
• Australian variant: "up **** creek in a barbed wire canoe with a rusty teaspoon for a paddle". Fairly typical example of applying hyperbole to freshen up a much used expression.

Synonyms

• up the creek
• between a rock and a hard place
• up the proverbial