in a jam
Up the creek
In a jam means in a difficult situation or predicament, especially one requiring urgent resolution: I'm in a jam—can you lend me fifty bucks until Friday?
The phrase suggests being stuck or squeezed, like fruit pressed into preserves.
Traffic jams and paper jams share this sense of things wedged together and unable to move freely.
- stuckUnable to move
- sticky situationDifficult circumstance to escape
- pickleVinegar-preserved vegetable
- troubleDifficulty or distress
- predicamentDifficult, unpleasant situation
tight spot · tight corner · fix · bind · up a creek · mess · scrape · preserve · jelly · traffic · gridlock · rush hour · squeeze · crisis · pinch · dilemma · hot water · corner
- food idiomspiece of cake, bread winner, low-hanging fruit, cool as a cucumber, bad egg
- predicamentspredicament, dilemma, bind, pickle, pinch
- hardshipshardship, adversity, struggle, misfortune, difficulties
in a jamfree and clear
Owning without obligations attached
in the clear · in good shape · sitting pretty · out of the woods · home free
in a jamfree and clear
Owning without obligations attached
unimpeded · unobstructed · unconstrained · at liberty · in the driver's seat
in a jamat ease
Relaxed, not tense
comfortable · relaxed · carefree · living the dream · on cloud nine