on the rocks

Idioms  

1. Ruined, spoiled, as in Six months after the wedding, their marriage was on the rocks . This expression, alluding to a ship running aground on rocks and breaking apart, has been used figuratively for other disasters since the late 1800s.

2. Served over ice only, as in He always drinks whiskey on the rocks . The “rocks” here are the ice cubes. [Mid-1900s]

3. Destitute, bankrupt, as in Can I borrow next month's rent? I'm on the rocks . This usage, from the late 1800s, is heard more often in Britain than America.

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Example Sentences

JD and Usha Vance can’t escape rumors that their marriage is on the rocks.

From Salon

But right now, the songwriter, whose other hits include “America,” “Love on the Rocks” and “Hello Again,” is seeing his life play out onstage in the Broadway musical “A Beautiful Noise,” which is based on his life.

From Los Angeles Times

Naval War College historian, wrote for the website War on the Rocks.

From New York Times

Writing in the War on the Rocks online security platform last week, former U.S.

From Reuters

At Gill Egg, he used his maize and blue Michigan sweatpants, and every inch of his 6-foot-3 frame, to dry the damp spots on the rocks.

From New York Times

Related Words

• bankrupt
• exhausted
• impoverished
• indigent
• insolvent
• needy
• penniless
• poor
• poverty-stricken
• strapped