the pits

Idioms  

1. The worst possible situation, as in Spending your birthday working alone is the pits, or That job is the pits. The allusion in this term is unclear. Some think it refers to coal pits, others to armpits, and still others to the area beside an auto racecourse, also called the pits, where cars are serviced during a race. [Second half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

the pits

Rosenqvist knew that by the time it returned to the pits, there would hardly be any racing left.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

In Las Vegas, although F1 is the promoter and built the location from scratch, it was decided to devote the entire structure above the pits to the Paddock Club for corporate guests, to maximise income.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Palou, whose Ganassi team excelled in the pits last April, agreed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

Stranded out on track with a gearbox malfunction, he made it back to the pits where the team rushed to fix a problem they could not identify.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026

“Even if the pits must open, must Your Grace go yourself?” asked Missandei as she was washing the queen’s hair.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin