take a bath

Idioms  

1. Experience serious financial loss, as in The company took a bath investing in that new product. This idiom, which originated in gambling, transfers washing oneself in a bathtub to being “cleaned out” financially. [Slang; first half of 1900s]

---

Example Sentences

“Show some respect for once. And make sure the colors don’t clash. Don’t take all day. I’d go myself, but I have a hat to trim, and I’m going to take a bath in the trough.”

From Literature

Ash pointed out that “gold often falls when equities take a bath to cover losing positions on a trading book.”

From Barron's

School was out, and a band of children and their teacher came and asked if I would like to take a bath in the schoolhouse.

From Literature

“Hmph. Robert, you’ll take a bath before you set foot in here. You look like you grew from dirt!”

From Literature

In the country I never had to wear a suit or take a bath, though when I returned home at the end of a summer, Mother would make me soak my hands in water and lye to get the dirt out from under my fingernails.

From Literature

Related Words

• douse
• drench
• float
• hose
• moisten
• rinse
• scrub
• shower
• soak
• wash up
• wet
• wipe