Behind the Eight Ball
Behind the Eight Ball
at a disadvantage, in a highly disadvantageous position, in trouble, in difficulty, having problems, in distress, in the soup
The phrase “behind the eight ball” seems to have originated from the game of billiard. The phrase is stated to have been used by The New York Times as early as in 1931 with reference to the tight spot or the situation in which victory is impossible. However, another newspaper, The Sheboygan Press, has used it even before The New York Times in 1929. It goes thus; “Bill figures he can finish behind the eight ball with any kind of a ball team, so there’s no harm in trying out young talent as there’s nothing to lose beyond the last place.” Since then, it has been used in the same meanings of a tight spot from where it is difficult for a person to extract himself.
Source: https://literarydevices.net/
Antonym: at ease
Farsi: دچار درد سر، درگیر مشکلات