worst comes to worst
advEtymology
Originally in the form "if the worst come to the worst" with the subjunctive "if it come to" in the sense of "if the worst possible outcome should become the worst possible reality". Often used even today with the same two definite articles, and this is the only form recorded for British English in some dictionaries.
Definitions
If a possible worst-case scenario actually occurs.
- “Worst comes to worst, we'll make it to Cleveland and we can set down there and wait things out.” Gordon Rand nearly sneered, “Worst comes to worst? We'll crash and die, isn't that closer to the worst end of the possibility spectrum?
- You aren't doing anything anyway. Worst comes to worst you can give her some money and send her on her way.
- Worst comes to worst ...” Eddie finished it. “Worst comes to worst, we try Dr. One's patented homemade miracle vaccine. Stops hair loss. Stops gout. Builds muscles. Kills flus.”
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for worst comes to worst. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA