hot water

American  

noun

Informal.

1. trouble; a predicament.

   His skipping classes will get him into real hot water when exam time comes.

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hot water Idioms  

1. Trouble or difficulty, as in She's deep in political hot water, or We got in hot water over the car deal, or He's finally paid his tuition and is out of hot water with the school. This metaphoric term alludes to water hot enough to burn one. [First half of 1500s] Also see in trouble with.

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Etymology

Origin of hot water

First recorded in 1530–40

Example Sentences

About 1.7 million households in England and Wales rely on kerosene for heating and hot water but, unlike gas and electricity, prices are not capped and are subject to volatility.

From BBC

Barrett, a teacher, told BBC Your Voice her oil tank is about a third full and she is saving what's left solely for hot water, having turned the heating off completely.

From BBC

"There's hot water. Do you want a bath?"

From Literature

We laid the piece of the box on the table with Anna’s cures and made ourselves a bit of hot water to sip while I told her all that had happened, almost all.

From Literature

This suggests that immersion in hot water may interfere with lice activity or where they lay their eggs.

From Science Daily