in the can

Idioms  

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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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in the can

People used to say they could use the down weeks to get sketches in the can, but they don’t do that.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

With the group’s debut in the can, Weezer returned to L.A. in October 1993 determined to break in Bell as a full-fledged member of the band.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2024

"There's a lot of stuff in the can which is pretty damn good," says Keith, "but it's not an album. It's just a lot of tracks."

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2023

"It's going to be a patchwork of different genres and whatever they have in the can that they can run," media consultant Brad Adgate said of the broadcast schedules.

From Reuters ● Sep. 7, 2023

I walked over to the window, but you couldn't see out of it, it was so steamy from all the heat in the can..

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger

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