slippery slope

English

Noun

slippery slope (plural slippery slopes)

(figuratively) A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.
I think basing your actions off an assumption like that is a slippery slope that is going to get you in trouble.

Synonyms: thin edge of the wedge, thin end of the wedge

Usage notes

A slippery slope argument in logic, critical thinking, political rhetoric, and caselaw, is a consequentialist logical device in which a party asserts that a particular result will probably (or even must inevitably) follow from a given decision or circumstance, without necessarily providing any rational argument or demonstrable mechanism for the likelihood of the assumed consequence.

Translations

chain of events

Chinese:
Cantonese: 滑坡, 滑坡 (waat⁶ bo¹)

Mandarin: 滑坡 (zh), 滑坡 (zh) (huápō)

Finnish: kalteva pinta
Hungarian: csúszós lejtő
Russian: please add this translation if you can

argument that follows a chain of events to some conclusion

Chinese:
Cantonese: 滑坡謬誤, 滑坡谬误 (waat⁶ bo¹ mau⁶ ng⁶)

Mandarin: 滑坡謬誤, 滑坡谬误 (huápō miùwù)

Finnish: kaltevan pinnan argumentti
German: Dammbruchargument n
Russian: please add this translation if you can

See also

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