come to a pretty pass

come to a pretty pass
come to a pretty pass
Fig. to encounter a difficult situation. (This

pretty

expresses irony.) •

This project has come to a pretty pass. I don't know how we can possibly finish on time.

Mary had come to a pretty pass. She quit her job to be with her husband, and then he left her.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • come to a pretty pass — If something has come to a pretty pass, then it is in a difficult, unfavourable or negative situation …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • come to a pretty pass — ► come to a pretty pass reach a regrettable state of affairs. Main Entry: ↑pass …   English terms dictionary

  • come to a pretty pass — reach a bad or regrettable state of affairs * * * come to such a ˈpass | come to a pretty ˈpass idiom (old fashioned humorous) to reach a sad or difficult state • I never thought things would come to such a pass as this …   Useful english dictionary

  • come to a pretty pass — reach a regrettable state of affairs. → pass …   English new terms dictionary

  • things have come to a pretty pass — things have come to/reached a pretty pass something that you say which means a situation is very bad. Things have come to a pretty pass when old people are dying of hypothermia because they can t afford to heat their homes. (often + when) …   New idioms dictionary

  • things have come reached a pretty pass — things have come to/reached a pretty pass something that you say which means a situation is very bad. Things have come to a pretty pass when old people are dying of hypothermia because they can t afford to heat their homes. (often + when) …   New idioms dictionary

  • things have come to a pretty pass — old fashioned phrase used for saying that a situation has become very unpleasant, difficult, or unacceptable Thesaurus: words used to describe difficult situationssynonym Main entry: pass …   Useful english dictionary

  • come to such a pass — come to such a ˈpass | come to a pretty ˈpass idiom (old fashioned humorous) to reach a sad or difficult state • I never thought things would come to such a pass as this. • …   Useful english dictionary

  • pretty pass — noun A difficult situation. When any of his descendants chose to take him to task for the crudeness of his manners he was accustomed to look them coldly over and retort that things had come to a pretty pass when comparatively new people ventured… …   Wiktionary

  • a pretty pass — {n. phr.} An unfortunate condition; a critical state. * /While the boss was away, things at the company had come to a pretty pass./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • a pretty pass — {n. phr.} An unfortunate condition; a critical state. * /While the boss was away, things at the company had come to a pretty pass./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

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