sell down the river

present singular third person sells down the river · participle present selling down the river · participle past sold down the river · past sold down the river

1. idiomatictransitiveTo betray, especially in a manner which causes serious difficulty for the one betrayed.

   "But screw it, this bastard is selling America down the river. He's a traitor."

   2005, Douglas J. Preston, Lincoln Child, Brimstone, →ISBN, page 262

   3 more examples

   [T]he Prime Minister was listened to with respect when he replied to Opposition hints that Ethiopia was being sold down the river because Britain was afraid she or her ships might suddenly be attacked by Italian airmen.

   1935 December 23, “Great Britain: Vampire's Caress”, in Time

   Somebody told me, I know where to go Somebody showed me, I was last to know Sell me down the river Sell me down the river Sell me down the river Sell me down the river What I wanted is what we wanted What we wanted is what she wanted

   1994, Scott Weiland, “Kitchenware & Candybars”, in Purple, performed by Stone Temple Pilots

   As a result, analysts were routinely selling investors down the river by promoting stocks purely to land banking business from companies.

   2006 March 4, Joe Nocera, “The Anguish Of Being An Analyst”, in New York Times, retrieved 17 Jun 2009

   Synonyms: sell, sell the pass, sell out, assfuck, betray, burn, cop out, cross out