slang In a challenging or troublesome situation, especially one that cannot be easily resolved. I have no savings, so if I get fired from my job, I'll be up the creek without a paddle. Shouldn't we stop for gas? We'll be up a creek if the car dies on that desolate road ahead.

Inf. Fig. in an awkward position with no easy way out. I'm sort of up the creek and don't know what to do. You are up a creek! You got yourself into it, so get yourself out.

Also, up shit creek. See up a creek.

If someone or something is up the creek or up shit creek, they are in a very difficult situation. The company's recent collapse has left their pension fund members up the creek. If we lose another player through injury we're basically up the creek. The economy's up shit creek and everyone's unemployed. Note: You can also use the full expression, up the creek without a paddle. Manufacturing really is up the creek without a paddle. He owes the bank a lot of money so he's up the creek without a paddle. Note: A creek is a narrow bay. The idea is of being in a boat such as a canoe without being able to control it.

In a difficult, unfortunate, or inextricable position.

In deep trouble; in a tight spot. Also put more baldly as up shit creek, this expression is almost certainly of American vintage from the early twentieth century, but the exact origin has been lost. Joseph Heller used it in Catch-22 (1961): “You really are up the creek, Popinjay.”