# one-way ticket to Palookaville

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/one-way-ticket-to-palookaville
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something that results in failure or obscurity, with no chance at redemption; a dead end.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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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.