in the gutter

in the gutter

slang In a state of total waste, failure, or ruination. My father's company is now going to be in the gutter because of the way the incompetent new CEO is running things. My dad once threw our entire life savings in the gutter betting on horses one weekend. The director's reputation is going to be in the gutter once these allegations come to light.
See also: gutter
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*in the gutter

Fig. [of a person] in a low state; poor and homeless. (*Typically: be ~; fall [into] ~; put some-one [into] ~.) You had better straighten out your life, or you'll end in the gutter. His bad habits put him into the gutter.
See also: gutter
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

in the gutter

Appropriate to or from a squalid, degraded condition. For example, The language in that book belongs in the gutter. An antonym, out of the gutter, means "away from vulgarity or sordidness," as in That joke was quite innocent; get your mind out of the gutter. This idiom uses gutter in the sense of "a conduit for filthy waste." [Mid-1800s]
See also: gutter
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • into the gutter
  • in the shitter
  • shitter
  • dumper
  • in the dumper
  • into the toilet
  • into the dumper
  • into the shitter
  • down the drain
  • down the toilet
References in classic literature
There is the man whom we all know, stupid, unimaginative, whose brain is bitten numbly by numb maggots; who walks generously with wide-spread, tentative legs, falls frequently in the gutter, and who sees, in the extremity of his ecstasy, blue mice and pink elephants.
It is easy for any man to roll in the gutter. But it is a terrible ordeal for a man to stand upright on his two legs unswaying, and decide that in all the universe he finds for himself but one freedom--namely, the anticipating of the day of his death.
What great waves there were in the gutter, and what a swift current!
This, with the same care, he deposited in the gutter. Then he leaped back to his seat and the machine dashed on, took the turn at the corner, and was gone from sight.
He was bound to end in the gutter sooner or later," said Lawson.
Alternatively, try the Hedgehog Gutter Brush (www.hedgehoggutterbrush.com), which is a hedgehog-like brush that sits in the gutter and keeps out leaves and other debris because they are deflected by it or get stuck on the spines.
Alternatively, try the Hedgehog Gutter Brush (www.hedgehoggutterbrush.com), which is a hedgehoglike brush that sits in the gutter and keeps out leaves and other debris because they are deflected by it or get stuck on the 'spines'.
Or try the Hedgehog Gutter Brush (www.hedgehoggutterbrush.com), which is a brush that sits in the gutter and keeps out leaves and other debris because they are deflected by it or get stuck on the 'spines'.
Leave the old spikes in place--a spike head Looks better than a hole in the gutter.
com), which is a long, hedgehoglike brush that sits in the gutter and keeps out leaves and the like because they bounce off or get stuck on the 'spines'.
Alternatively, try the Hedgehog (4m brush, pounds 14,99, see www.hedgehoggutterbrush.com), which is a long, hedgehog-like brush that sits in the gutter and keeps out leaves and the like because they bounce off or get stuck on the 'spines'.
Alternatively, try the Hedgehog (4m brush, pounds 14,99, www.hedgehoggutterbrush.com), which is a long, hedgehog-like brush that sits in the gutter and keeps out leaves and the like because they bounce off or get stuck on the spines.
If you notice that water's falling sharply from one place in the gutter, this usually indicates a blockage.
It also prevents mosquitoes from breeding in the gutter. It includes UV protective coating, a germicide, a fire retardant and has a five year performance warranty.
If you notice that water is falling sharply from one place, this usually indicates a blockage in the gutter. Simply scoop out the offending object with your hand or a trowel.