nail in one's coffin

English

Phrase

nail in one's coffin

  1. (slang) An alcoholic drink.
    • 1859, Henry Mudge, Physiology, Health and Disease, Demanding Abstinence from Alcoholic Drinks, and Prohibition of Their Common Sale, page 38:
      A man whom I knew frequented a certain public-house, the landlady of which, on handing him his pint of beer, would oftimes accompany it with the remark, "Here, Jā€”, is another nail in your coffin."
    • 1875, Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine, volume 15, page 383:
      "Hullo! Just in time ā€” just had drinks all round. Come, put another nail in your coffin!"
  2. Synonym of another nail in someone's coffin (ā€œevent leading to further failureā€)

References

  • John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary
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