Numbers

Behind the Eight Ball

"Behind the eight ball" is an expression which means to be at a disadvantage or in an awkward position.  It comes from a version of the game of pocket billiards.

How It's Used

“‘You’ve got yourself behind the eight ball,’ Judge Lamberth warned Philip Brooks, an attorney representing the Interior Department.”

“What is it about mutual funds Mr. Swensen finds offensive? Just about everything. He hates the way the loads and all the hidden fees mean that the investor is always behind the eight ball.”

“Richard Solomon discovered that buying a mint-condition car wouldn’t have been such a bad idea.  The New York artists’ representative was primarily looking for a sharp-looking car when he bought an angular 1977 Lamborghini Countach for $80,000 early last year.  But he was also hoping it would appreciate in value.  The car needed work, and over the next year he spent more than $20,000 to recondition the engine, transmission, brakes and suspension, and he says it would take another $50,000 to get the car into perfect shape.  For now he isn’t spending the money, given that a top-condition model goes for $100,000 at best.  ‘I’m still behind the eight ball,’ he says.”

Links