slippery slope

American  

noun

1. a dangerous and irreversible course.

   the slippery slope from narcotics to prison.

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slippery slope Idioms  

1. A dangerous course, one that leads easily to catastrophe, as in He's on a slippery slope, compromising his values to please both the bosses and the union. This metaphoric expression alludes to traversing a slick hillside, in constant danger of falling. [Mid-1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of slippery slope

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Changing the messaging on safe sleep would be a “slippery slope,” said Deanne Tilton Durfee, executive director of the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, which runs L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

So Roz carefully picked her way up the slippery slope, while Brightbill fluttered along beside her.

From Literature

Liverpool MP Paula Barker warned of a "slippery slope when safety concerns are ignored" at football stadiums, referencing the Hillsborough disaster.

From BBC

"Ninety-seven innocent men, women and children lost their lives. We have safety advisory groups for a reason, and it's a slippery slope when safety concerns are ignored, and I believe unprecedented for a government to try to overturn such advice."

From BBC

In Israel Hayom, military columnist Yoav Limor describes the firefight near Rafah as "a warning", adding: "If Israel fails to establish tough and clear rules vis-à-vis Hamas it could find itself on a slippery slope."

From BBC