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desert a sinking ship
desert a sinking ship
and leave a sinking shipFig. to leave a place, a person, or a situation when things become difficult or unpleasant. (Rats are said to be the first to leave a ship that is sinking.) I hate to be the one to desert a sinking ship, but I can't work for a company that continues to lose money. There goes Tom. Wouldn't you know he'd leave a sinking ship rather than stay around and try to help?
desert a sinking ship
Abandon a failing enterprise before it is too late. For example, After seeing the company's financial statement, he knew it was time to desert a sinking ship . This metaphoric expression alludes to rats, which leave a vessel when it founders in a storm or runs aground so as to escape drowning. It was transferred to human behavior by about 1600.
Common Names:
| Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
| Adem | | - | Turkish |
| Layne | | [lein] | |
| Derren | | DER-ən | English (Rare) |
| Romulus | | RAWM-yə-ləs (English) | Roman Mythology |
| Marcellino | | mahr-chel-LEE-no | Italian |
| Ereshkigal | | ay-RESH-kee-gahl, er-esh-KIG-ahl | Near Eastern Mythology |