one-way ticket to Palookaville
Something that results in failure or obscurity, with no chance at redemption; a dead end.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That bad business deal is a one-way ticket to Palookaville.”
“Lying on your tax return is a one-way ticket to Palookaville.”
“This cheap engine part is a one-way ticket to Palookaville for your car.”
“If you keep ignoring your customers, your company is on a one-way ticket to Palookaville.”
“Refusing to learn new software in this industry is a one-way ticket to Palookaville for any ambitious professional.”
“The director realized that releasing such a boring movie would be a one-way ticket to Palookaville for his career.”
“His decision to abandon the core strategy was a one-way ticket to Palookaville, ensuring his project would soon be forgotten by the board.”
first recorded 20th c.
The expression originates from a line of dialogue in the 1954 film On the Waterfront. It entered the lexicon as a reference to a fictional destination for the failed and the forgotten, specifically those whose careers in the boxing ring had concluded in obscurity.
- 01
buy a ticket to
Used to indicate that someone is in agreement with an assertion, statement, or suggestion.
- 02
E ticket
Something very thrilling or exciting.
- 03
golden ticket
A qualification, person or thing that can provide positive opportunities.
- 04
meal ticket
Someone or something that provides income or livelihood, especially as an exploited source.
- 05
punch someone's ticket
To put someone, especially oneself, in a position to advance or to achieve a desired objective; to gain useful experience.
- 06
that's the ticket
That's just right; that's just what is needed.
- 07
ticket to ride
Something that enables one to do something which would otherwise not be possible.
- 08
write one's own ticket
To be empowered to choose whichever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.
Last updated August 10, 2026