sold down the river
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
That one was betrayed.
How to use it
✗ Avoid it when
This expression is widely considered racist or offensive today; the history is documented in the notes. Documented here descriptively, not as an endorsement.
Connotation: offensive to many; contested
Sources & notes
Imported from Wikipedia “List of idioms considered racist” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review. Why it’s contested: It originated as a lament of eastern slaves being split apart from their families and forcibly transported to plantations in the Deep South, where conditions were even worse. Users of the idiom may seem to be trivializing or minimizing the suffering of the enslaved people it evokes.
Common questions
What does “sold down the river” mean?
That one was betrayed.
Is “sold down the river” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.