Slippery slope
Meaning
A slippery slope describes a course of action that, once begun, is argued to lead inevitably to a series of undesirable consequences.
Origin
The evocative image of a "slippery slope" is one we instantly grasp: take one step on an incline covered in ice or loose gravel, and you might find yourself sliding uncontrollably to the bottom. This powerful metaphor, while intuitively understood for centuries, truly cemented its place in the English language in the 20th century, becoming a cornerstone of rhetorical argument, particularly in legal and political arenas. It gained traction as a succinct shorthand for warning against actions that, though seemingly minor, would inevitably lead to a cascade of undesirable outcomes, pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable or safe. It’s a vivid caution, painted with the brushstrokes of physics and human experience, against the perils of unchecked progression.
Examples
- Opponents of the new privacy policy warned it was a slippery slope that could lead to widespread surveillance.
- Just one small compromise in the negotiations could be a slippery slope to losing all our leverage.