Comparing coming down the pipe and coming down the pike, the most used phrase (as reported by the CoCA) is coming down the pike, which is used more frequently in all the 1995–2010 period. The New Oxford American Dictionary
New Oxford American Dictionary
The New Oxford American Dictionary is a single-volume dictionary of American English compiled by American editors at the Oxford University Press. NOAD is based upon the New Oxford Dictionary of English, published in the United Kingdom in 1998, although with substantial editing, additional entri…
Is it down the pike or down the pipe?
Is It 'Down the Pike' or 'Down the Pipe'? However it gets here, be ready for it. The original phrase, down the pike, means "in the course of events" or, more recently, "in the future." "Pike" here is short for turnpike and the phrase refers metaphorically to something coming from further along the road.
What is “coming down the pipe”?
The blog title is “Coming Down the Pipe.” Also derived from the turnpike pike, the words pike and piker were nineteenth century West Coast terms of contempt for poor white migrants from the Southern states–rather like the word Okie in the twentieth century.
What does it mean to say something is coming down the Pike?
If you say something is coming down the pike, that means it's going to happen sometime soon. But what is this "pike" you speak of? The answer might be found in your summer travel plans.
What does we are waiting to see what comes down the pipe?
We are waiting to see what comes down the pipe. The sentence implies that you are standing beneath the pipe looking up–not a good idea. The original expression is "coming down the pike." It refers to coming down the turnpike, with the image of something getting bigger as it moves toward us.
Is it coming down the pipe or pike?
Coming Down the Pike or Pipe The idiom meaning soon to happen or appear was originally coming down the pike, not coming down the pipe, but both forms are now widely used and understood. In coming down the pike, the noun pike is short for turnpike, which is a broad road, sometimes a toll road.
What's coming down the pipeline meaning?
US. to appear or be noticed for the first time: Every movie coming down the pike was touted to be more "spectacular" or "hilarious" than anything seen before. Occurring and happening.
What does the term coming down the pike mean?
going to happen sometime soonIf you say something is coming down the pike, that means it's going to happen sometime soon.
What does it mean to pipe down a girl?
The slang term “Pipe down” is a phrasal verb or phrase which is used to tell someone to shut up, stop talking, or be quiet. If you wanted someone to be quiet, you'd tell them to pipe down.
Where did the saying pipe down come from?
The origin of the expression 'pipe down' is nautical. Whistled signals are given to crews via a boatswain's pipe, with one of those signals meaning “time to go below decks and retire for the evening,” or “be quiet as it's time for bed.” This has been used since the late 16th century.
What does it mean to be in the pipeline?
1. In process, under way, as in The blueprints for the new machine are in the pipeline, but it will take months to get approval. [Colloquial; 1940s] Also see in the works. 2. Budgeted for something but not yet spent, as in There's $5 million more in the pipeline for the city schools. [
What is the meaning of coming down?
intransitive verb. 1 : to lose or fall in estate or condition has come down in the world. 2a : to pass by tradition a story that has come down from medieval times. b : to pass from a usually high source word came down that the strike was over. 3 : to place oneself in opposition came down hard on gambling.
What does it mean to be in the pipeline?
1. In process, under way, as in The blueprints for the new machine are in the pipeline, but it will take months to get approval. [Colloquial; 1940s] Also see in the works. 2. Budgeted for something but not yet spent, as in There's $5 million more in the pipeline for the city schools. [
What does right down the pipe mean?
Coming down the pike is a form of the phrase come down the pike, which means “to appear” or “to happen,” usually (but not always) soon.
What is the meaning of coming down?
intransitive verb. 1 : to lose or fall in estate or condition has come down in the world. 2a : to pass by tradition a story that has come down from medieval times. b : to pass from a usually high source word came down that the strike was over. 3 : to place oneself in opposition came down hard on gambling.
What does put your head on a pike mean?
If someone wants a head on a spike, they want to be able to destroy or really punish a person. (Head on a pike is also used.)
What does "coming down the pike" mean?
In coming down the pike, the noun pike is short for turnpike, which is a broad road, sometimes a toll road. This usage of pike originated in the U.S. in the early 19th century, and the earliest known instances of coming down the pike appeared around 1900.
How often does down the pipe appear?
In current searchable news publications, down the pipe appears once for every two instances of down the pike (though some instances of down the pipe have to do with plumbing). Examples such as these are easy to find:
Is "pipe" a familiar word?
Meanwhile, pipe is of course a very familiar word, and things do come down pipes sometimes, so it’s easy to see why pipe has taken pike ‘s place in the idiom, even if the pipe metaphor doesn’t hold up under logical scrutiny.
What does "coming down the pike" mean?
The Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms has an entry on "coming down the pike", and says that it's "based on the literal meaning of pike (a large road)". It does not have an entry on "coming down the pipe".
Is the phrase "pike" the original?
In other words, the expression with "pike" is the original one, but the "pipe" variant cannot be labeled as "wrong" at this point in time. Both are widely used and understood.
Where does coming down the pike come from?
Coming down the pike is a form of the phrase come down the pike, which means “to appear” or “to happen,” usually (but not always) soon. The phrase coming down the pike has been used in the specific sense of “going to happen or appear in the near future” since at least the 1970s.
Examples of coming down the pike
Felt good to write again. Got some good stuff coming down the pike soon. You're not going to want to miss it.
Who uses coming down the pike?
Coming down the pike is informal and fairly common. It’s typically used in the context of something that’s expected to happen soon.
