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in the can

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1

In the lavatory, as in He can't come to the phone; he's in the can. The related on the can means “sitting on the toilet.” The noun can is used for both the room and the toilet. [Slang; c. 1900]

2

Completed, as in About a hundred pages of her next book are in the can. This usage originated in filmmaking to describe a completed motion picture, when film was literally put into a can or canister. [Slang; c. 1930]

3

As an out-of-the-money finisher in a horse race, where a horse comes in fourth or worse. For example, He had no luck that day—every bet ended up in the can. [1960s]

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Words nearby in the can

in the bargain, in the black, in the blood, in the bud, in the buff, in the can, in the cards, in the care of, in the case of, in the chips, in the circumstances
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

How to use in the can in a sentence

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