ENGLISH
REFERENCE

deep six

idiom
Meaning

To discard, get rid of, or cancel; to completely put an end to something.


Origin

first recorded 20th c. disputed origin

First use appears c. 1929 as a noun, most likely from the nautical cry by the deep six indicating a depth of six fathoms (36 feet, 11 metres) as measured by a sounding line (a depth at which something thrown overboard would be difficult to recover), though possibly also a reference to the common depth of graves (six feet). Attested since the 1950s as a verb.

Examples
SIMPLE

We decided to deep six the old project.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager told us to deep six the marketing plan because it was too expensive.

COMPLEX

After the board reviewed the failing quarterly results, they voted to deep six the entire initiative to save the company.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    deep cut

    An obscure song by a well known musician.

  2. 02

    deep dive

    An in-depth examination or analysis of a topic.

  3. 03

    deep down

    Fundamentally; in essence; in reality

  4. 04

    deep pockets

    An ample supply of money, especially money which one is willing to spend; the possessor of such money.

  5. 05

    deep thinker

    A person whose thoughts are profound; an intellectual.

  6. 06

    deep water

    A difficult or embarrassing situation.

  7. 07

    dig deep

    To make a lot of effort with all one's resources.

  8. 08

    hit someone for six

    To affect in a devastating way by some unexpected news.

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