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> arrests the slippery slope What does that mean? Not a native speaker, dictionary not so helpful
by cutemonster 6y ago
> arrests the slippery slope
What does that mean? Not a native speaker, dictionary not so helpful
- ben_w 6y ago“Slippery slope” is an (often misused) metaphor; the bottom of the slope is generic badness, the top is a good place to be, and the slope is slippery because if you start sliding down it can be very difficult to stop. While “arrest” normally means a police officer putting someone in handcuffs, it is derived from derived from the French word “arrêt“ meaning 'to stop or stay', and can still be used in that sense. Thus, “arrest the slippery slope” means “prevent bad behaviour”.
- cutemonster 6y agoThanks! Interesting to hear about the origins of the words