left in the lurch

Questions

What does left in the lurch mean?

Stranded in a difficult and helpless position.

Where does left in the lurch come from?

From the Middle French board game of lourche (“lurch”). Players suffered a lurch if they were left in a hopeless position which rendered victory impossible.

How to pronounce left in the lurch

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “left in the lurch”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “left in the lurch”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “left in the lurch” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.