coffin

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another nail in (one's) coffin

Another negative event that contributes to one's downfall or to something's failure. Aw man, our rival's new product just came out to rave reviews. There's another nail in our coffin. If my parents find out that I failed my exam, it will be another nail in my coffin, and they may never let me go out again! A: "Oh, and he was cheating on me too." B: "Wow, another nail in his coffin! I don't want anything to do with this loser anymore."

another nail in the coffin

Another negative event or action that contributes to one's downfall or to something's failure. Aw man, our rival's new product just came out to rave reviews. There's another nail in the coffin. If my parents find out that I failed my exam, it will be another nail in the coffin, and they may never let me go out again! A: "Oh, and he was cheating on me too." B: "Wow, another nail in the coffin! I don't want anything to do with this loser anymore."

coffin nail

slang

1. A cigarette. Hey, can I bum a coffin nail off of you? You'll probably find Ed outside smoking a coffin nail. Mom's gonna freak out if she catches you smoking those coffin nails.

2. An alcoholic beverage. Here's another coffin nail for you—you'll be drunk before you know it. We had some time to kill, so stopped by the airport bar and threw back a few coffin nails. Not our smartest idea. What kind of coffin nail can I get you?

See also: coffin, nail

coffin tack

slang A cigarette. Hey, can I bum a coffin tack off of you? You'll probably find Ed outside smoking a coffin tack. Mom's gonna freak out if she catches you smoking those coffin tacks.

coffin varnish

Alcohol, especially that which has been illegally prepared. Don't give me any more of that coffin varnish, or I'll be drunk in no time! My grandad was notorious for supplying the whole region with coffin varnish during Prohibition. Be careful with that stuff. My uncle Hector went blind from drinking too much coffin varnish.

coffin-dodger

1. One who is elderly. Primarily heard in the UK. Only coffin-dodgers go grocery shopping at 10 AM on a Tuesday morning. Who cares what some coffin-dodger has to say? Her views have been outdated for 50 years! Only coffin-dodgers take that route, so you'll never get a seat on the bus.

2. One who smokes. You can probably bum a cig off one of the coffin-dodgers out back. Ugh, I reek of smoke after being around all those coffin-dodgers. Sure, I was a coffin-dodger back in the day, like a lot of people. But I gave it up years ago.

drive a nail in (someone's or something's) coffin

To do something that leads to or brings about one's, someone's or something's ruin, downfall, or failure. That class action lawsuit is going to drive a nail in the company's coffin. Every cigarette you smoke is driving a nail in your coffin. You know that, right? As I continued bumbling through the interview, I felt more and more sure that I was driving a nail in my own coffin.

drive another nail in (someone's or something's) coffin

To do something that leads to or brings about one's, someone's or something's ruin, downfall, or failure. The company was already facing a lot of problems. This class action lawsuit is going to drive another nail in their coffin. Every cigarette you smoke is driving another nail in your coffin. You know that, right? As I stammered through each answer in the interview, I knew I was driving another nail in my coffin.

drive the final nail in (someone's or something's) coffin

To do something that leads to or brings about one's, someone's or something's ruin, downfall, or failure. The company was already facing a lot of problems. This class action lawsuit is going to drive the final nail in their coffin. Please don't do this. If you reject our loan application, you'll be driving the final nail in our coffin! I knew that if I kept smoking, it would just drive the final nail in my coffin.

final nail in the coffin

An event, decision, action, etc., that seals, confirms, or ultimately leads to the failure of a situation or event that has already begun to fail. The candidate's uncouth comments toward the lower class were the final nail in the coffin of an already foundering campaign. If my parents find out that I failed another exam, it will be the final nail in the coffin. They may never let me go out again! A: "Oh, and he was cheating on me too." B: "Wow! Please tell me that's the final nail in the coffin." A: "Definitely—I don't want anything to do with this loser anymore."

nail in (someone's or something's) coffin

Something that will eventually contribute to someone's or something's downfall or death. That class action lawsuit is going to be the nail in the company's coffin. Every beer you drink is a nail in your coffin.

See also: coffin, nail

nail in the coffin

An event, decision, action, etc., that can or will lead to the failure or cessation of something. The candidate's uncouth comment about the lower class was the final nail in the coffin. That class action lawsuit could be a nail in the coffin of a company that has already seen its fair share of controversy.

See also: coffin, nail

nail in the coffin of (something)

An event, decision, action, etc., that can or will lead to the failure or cessation of something. The candidate's uncouth comment about the lower class was the final nail in the coffin of an already foundering campaign. That class action lawsuit could be a nail in the coffin of a company that has already seen its fair share of controversy.

put a nail in (someone's or something's) coffin

To do something that leads to or brings about one's, someone's or something's ruin, downfall, or failure. That class action lawsuit is going to put a nail in the company's coffin. Every cigarette you smoke is putting a nail in your coffin. You know that, right? As I continued bumbling through the interview, I felt more and more sure that I was putting a nail in my own coffin.

put another nail in (someone's or something's) coffin

To do something that leads to or brings about one's, someone's or something's ruin, downfall, or failure. The company was already facing a lot of problems. This class action lawsuit is going to put another nail in their coffin. Every cigarette you smoke is putting another nail in your coffin. You know that, right?

put the final nail in (someone's or something's) coffin

To do something that leads to or brings about one's, someone's or something's ruin, downfall, or failure. The company was already facing a lot of problems. This class action lawsuit is going to put the final nail in their coffin. Please don't do this. If you reject our loan application, you'll be putting the final nail in our coffin!

the last nail in the coffin

An event, decision, action, etc., that seals, confirms, or ultimately ensures the failure of a situation or event that has already begun to fail. The candidate's uncouth comments toward the lower class were the last nail in the coffin of an already foundering campaign.

(another) nail in (someone's or something's) coffin

Fig. something that will harm or destroy someone or something. (Alludes to the sealing of a coffin with nails.) Every word of criticism that Bob said about the boss was another nail in his coffin. Losing their biggest customer was the final nail in the company's coffin.

See also: coffin, nail

nail in one's coffin

Something that might hasten or contribute to one's death, as in Every cigarette you smoke is another nail in your coffin. This expression, alluding to fastening down a coffin lid, is today almost always used for a harmful habit such as tobacco use (giving rise to the slang term coffin nail for a cigar or cigarette). The idea was first expressed in an ode by Pindar (the pseudonym of John Wolcot) in 1792: "Care to our coffin adds a nail, no doubt."

See also: coffin, nail

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

another nail in the coffin

COMMON If an event is another nail in the coffin of something or someone, it is the latest in a series of events which are seriously harming that thing or person. The vote is another nail in the coffin of the one-party system which the country has now largely rejected. The President took the blame for the crisis and it became another nail in the coffin of his leadership. Note: If you say that an event is the last nail or the final nail in the coffin of something or someone, you mean that it finally destroys something or causes someone to fail. A rent increase could be the final nail in the coffin for a small business like this. The marriage was already in trouble and his affair proved to be the last nail in the coffin.

a nail in the coffin

an action or event regarded as likely to have a detrimental or destructive effect on a situation, enterprise, or person.

1981 R. Lancaster Plant Hunting in Nepal A major nail in the coffin of the plant hunter, so some people believe, is the growing importance placed on plant conservation in the wild.

See also: coffin, nail

a nail in somebody’s/something’s ˈcoffin

something, especially one of a series of things, which makes the failure or destruction of something more likely: If we don’t succeed with this campaign, it’ll be the final nail in our coffin. ♢ The new tax has driven another nail into the coffin of the British film industry.

See also: coffin, nail

coffin nail

1. and coffin tack n. a cigarette. (Coffin nail is very old.) You still smoking them coffin nails? Every coffin tack you smoke takes a little off the end of your life.

2. n. a drink of liquor. How about another coffin nail?

See also: coffin, nail

coffin tack

verb

See coffin nail

coffin varnish

n. inferior liquor. You want some more of this coffin varnish?

coffin-dodger

(ˈkɔfnæ dɑdʒɚ)

n. a heavy smoker. I just hate these damn coffin-dodgers who smoke right outside the door!

nail in one's coffin, drive/put a

Perform some destructive (or self-destructive) act. The term first appeared in print in Peter Pindar’s (John Wolcot’s) Ode no. 15 (1789): “Care to our coffin adds a nail.” It was repeated over the years, and in the early twentieth century was taken up by the Anti-Cigarette League, which announced that every cigarette smoked was a nail in one’s coffin, giving rise to the colloquial name coffin nail for a cigarette. “Have you a coffin nail?” wrote O. Henry (The Higher Abdication, 1907).