Advertisement
Advertisement
in the can
In the lavatory, as in He can't come to the phone; he's in the can . The related on the can means “sitting on the toilet.” The noun can is used for both the room and the toilet. [ Slang ; c. 1900]
As an out-of-the-money finisher in a horse race, where a horse comes in fourth or worse. For example, He had no luck that day—every bet ended up in the can . [1960s]
Completed, as in About a hundred pages of her next book are in the can . This usage originated in filmmaking to describe a completed motion picture, when film was literally put into a can or canister. [ Slang ; c. 1930]
Example Sentences
“When we knew we had the scene in the can,” says Förderer, “we’d then pretend we had only one attempt to capture it without cutting. Like the characters in the film say, ‘Follow the story wherever it takes us.’”
“That one, I kind of put in the can,” Cronin said.
It’s not ready, but it’s in the can.
Christmas is already in the can and Valentine’s Day is on the horizon.
There was, what, a period where you had your content in the can, and then Biden announced he was dropping out, and there was a brief period when nobody was quite sure what was going to happen.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse