English idiom

swimming naked

Register · Informal CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

being exposed as unprepared or over-leveraged once market conditions turn

Why this phrase?

From Warren Buffett's 2001 shareholder letter: cheap credit lets everyone look like a good swimmer — until the tide retreats.

Example

“When the tide goes out, you find out who's been swimming naked.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

naked swimmer

Component words

swimming

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

a rip-off

Something that is far too expensive for what it is.

ballpark figure

a rough estimate, not an exact number

can of worms

a complicated problem that causes trouble the moment it is touched

cost an arm and a leg

To be extremely expensive.

cut your losses

to stop investing in a failing venture in order to avoid further loss

domino effect

a chain reaction in which one event triggers a series of similar events

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

markdown