Puzzle #317 · April 14, 2026
hold water
Featured
Every day one two-word expression or compound word used in American English.
Hold water means to survive scrutiny—that an argument doesn't leak, doesn't fall apart when you examine it. The phrase is old, dating back around 1600, and it has direct roots in the King James Bible. Jeremiah 2:13 talks about people who have ‘broken cisterns, that can hold no water’—a metaphor for beliefs that are fundamentally flawed and can't sustain you.
It's a perfect metaphor because the logic is embedded in the language itself. A container either holds water or it doesn't. An argument either holds water or it doesn't. Over four centuries, the phrase became the standard way to test whether an idea is sound. The literal meaning never changed, which is why it works so well figuratively. When something doesn't hold water, the problem is internal—it's broken at the foundation. See more at theidioms.
It's a perfect metaphor because the logic is embedded in the language itself. A container either holds water or it doesn't. An argument either holds water or it doesn't. Over four centuries, the phrase became the standard way to test whether an idea is sound. The literal meaning never changed, which is why it works so well figuratively. When something doesn't hold water, the problem is internal—it's broken at the foundation. See more at theidioms.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression hold water has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #317 on April 14, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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