# helter-skelter

idiom · Slang

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/helter-skelter
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

an air-raid shelter

## Examples

- They ran to the helter-skelter when the sirens started.
- During the air raids, families spent their nights huddled together in the dark, crowded helter-skelter.
- The old, reinforced helter-skelter remained in the garden as a grim reminder of the city's wartime history.

## Origin

Referring to the speed required to run to such a refuge and the fact they were often underground.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.