have one foot on a banana peel

verb

To be in an unstable situation with a high risk of sudden negative change, facing difficulty, or appearing foolish.

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Meanings

verbhave one foot on a banana peel (third-person singular simple present has one foot on a banana peel, present participle having one foot on a banana peel, simple past and past participle had one foot on a banana peel)

present singular third person has one foot on a banana peel · participle present having one foot on a banana peel · participle past had one foot on a banana peel · past had one foot on a banana peel

  1. idiomaticinformalTo be in an unstable situation with a high risk of sudden negative change, facing difficulty, or appearing foolish.
Cite this entry
APA

have one foot on a banana peel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one%20foot%20on%20a%20banana%20peel

MLA

“have one foot on a banana peel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one%20foot%20on%20a%20banana%20peel. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have one foot on a banana peel,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one%20foot%20on%20a%20banana%20peel.

Source: have one foot on a banana peel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.