Down the Rabbit Hole

Ret's Word of the Day: Down the Rabbit Hole
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Down the Rabbit Hole

/daʊn ðə ˈræb.ɪt həʊl/

(Pronounced: down thuh rab-it hohl)
UK pronunciation   US pronunciation

Meaning: To enter a situation or begin a process of discovery that becomes increasingly strange, complicated, absorbing, or time-consuming — often leading to unexpected or bizarre places, much like falling into an endless exploration.

Dialogue

  • Tom: "I started watching one video about space travel last night."
  • Lisa: "And?"
  • Tom: "I went down the rabbit hole — ended up reading about black holes until 3 a.m.!"
  • Lisa: "Classic YouTube — it always sucks you in."

Etymology

The idiom "down the rabbit hole" (or "go/fall down the rabbit hole") comes directly from Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where the first chapter is titled "Down the Rabbit-Hole." Alice follows a white rabbit and falls into a deep hole, entering a surreal and bizarre world. The phrase entered common usage in the 20th century, especially with the internet era to describe endless online browsing.

Audience

When to use: Very common in modern informal English, especially for describing online research, binge-watching, deep dives into topics, conspiracy theories, or any absorbing activity that consumes time unexpectedly. It's vivid and often neutral-to-negative (warning of distraction), widely used in conversations, social media, and writing.

Video

Location: Paris, France

Comments

  1. Rethabile5 February 2025 at 10:34

    This expression in use: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ihc8i7uK_W1XjYr_686mzEuB8AsYHWMn/view?usp=sharing

    ReplyDelete

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