# in the barrel

> English word · Prep_phrase

## Definitions
1. In an unpleasant or dangerous situation.
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, barrel.

## Etymology
Attested 1950s.
Presumably from a bawdy military joke, featuring a barrel with a glory hole, whose punchline is “It’s your turn in the barrel.”
The joke has many variants and embellishments, but the kernel is: a new sailor is being given a tour of the boat, and is shown a barrel with a glory hole, which they are able to use any time, except Tuesdays. When he asks why not Tuesdays, he is told: “Because it’s your turn in the barrel.”
Other hypotheses is that it is derived from like shooting fish in a barrel, or that it referred to a form of punishment in which the malefactor was confined within a barrel.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/in-the-barrel