Meaning:
1. When someone goes “down the rabbit hole,” it means they spent a lot of time on an activity, perhaps more than they originally intended.
Example: My laptop was having problems, so I began researching online how to fix it. I ended up going down a rabbit hole in the process, wasting hours and hours with no solution in sight until finally, I tried restarting my computer. Now it works fine!
2. A bizarre or strange situation.
Example: I bought a dozen bags of unusually flavored potato chips and I sampled each one. By the end of my tasting session I felt sick; this is not a rabbit hole I plan to go down ever again.
Synonyms: None.
What Is a Rabbit Hole?
Would you ever want to go down a rabbit hole? No, because they’re for rabbits, not humans! These cute little animals dig holes in the ground to live and sleep in. Why do they live underground? Because it keeps them safe from their predators. You see, when a rabbit is in danger, if speed alone is not enough for them to escape their pursuers, they can always retreat to their hole for safety. That’s right, big animals with sharp teeth are not allowed down there.
The Origin of ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’
It’s believed that the phrase go down the rabbit hole comes from a 19th century novel called Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland (or Alice In Wonderland for short). This novel was written by Lewis Carroll and published in the year 1865.
Near the beginning of this fictional story, a girl named Alice crawls into a rabbit hole. Shortly after, she literally falls down the rabbit hole and ends up in a strange place called Wonderland.
Examples
- I’ve wanted to play a musical instrument for years now, but I never followed through on it. However, I plan to go down the rabbit hole of music starting next week.
- As I was looking up recipes online, I saw a link for the top 10 weirdest foods. Since then, I’ve gone down a rabbit hole because I’m reading about all sorts of foods that I’ve never even heard of before.