up a tree

Idioms and Phrases

In a difficult situation, as in They found the drugs in his suitcase, so he was up a tree . This expression alludes to an animal, such as a raccoon or squirrel, that climbs a tree for refuge from attackers, which then surround the tree so it cannot come down. [ Colloquial ; early 1800s]

Related Words

• difficulty
• dilemma
• embarrassment
• impasse
• plight
• predicament
• puzzle
• uncertainty