fix
/fĭks/
intransitive verb
- To correct or set right; adjust. fix a misspelling; fix the out-of-date accounts.
- To restore to proper condition or working order; repair. fix a broken machine.
- To make ready for a specific purpose, as by altering or combining elements; prepare. fixed the room for the guests; fix lunch for the kids.
Fix used in the sense you are referring to dates back to the 18th century:
- Sense of "tamper with" (a fight, a jury, etc.) is from 1790.
probably from the earlier meaning :
- "settle, assign" evolved into "adjust, arrange" (1660s), then "repair".
(Etymonline)
Ad a set phrase the earliest usage I could find is from the '40s, but earlier usages are possible:
From: Collier's, Volume 106 Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, 1940
- ... fifteen dollars on a fight in his life. "Well, here it is," the McCoy tough guy explained. "We're from New York and you're from New York and we seen you're okay. So we're out here for the fight. On business. The fix is in and the white boy wins.
Ngram: fix is in.
Answer from user66974 on Stack ExchangeDictionary.com
dictionary.com › browse › in-a-fix
IN A FIX Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
In a fix definition: Also,. In a difficult or embarrassing situation, in a dilemma. For example, I was really in a fix when I missed the plane, or Lost and out of gas—how did we get in such a pickle? or John had lost all his money in the crap ...
Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › fix
FIX Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of FIX is to make something whole or able to work properly again : repair, mend. How to use fix in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Fix.
Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english › in-a-fix
IN A FIX | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
IN A FIX definition: 1. in an awkward or difficult situation: 2. in an awkward or difficult situation: . Learn more.
Videos
TheFreeDictionary.com
idioms.thefreedictionary.com › in+a+fix
In a fix - Idioms by The Free Dictionary
Fig. in a bad situation. (*Typically: be ~; get [into] ~.) I really got myself into a fix. I owe a lot of money on my taxes. John is in a fix because he lost his wallet. John got into a fix.
Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › the fix is in
THE FIX IS IN Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
to make something whole or able to work properly again : repair, mend; to deal with, solve, or correct (a problem); restore, cure… See the full definition
UsingEnglish.com
usingenglish.com › home › grammar reference › idioms › in a fix
'In A Fix' Meaning - UsingEnglish.com
If you are in a fix, you are in trouble. Country: International English | Subject Area: General | Usage Type: Both or All Words Used ... All idioms have been editorially reviewed.
Top answer 1 of 3
4
Fix used in the sense you are referring to dates back to the 18th century:
- Sense of "tamper with" (a fight, a jury, etc.) is from 1790.
probably from the earlier meaning :
- "settle, assign" evolved into "adjust, arrange" (1660s), then "repair".
(Etymonline)
Ad a set phrase the earliest usage I could find is from the '40s, but earlier usages are possible:
From: Collier's, Volume 106 Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, 1940
- ... fifteen dollars on a fight in his life. "Well, here it is," the McCoy tough guy explained. "We're from New York and you're from New York and we seen you're okay. So we're out here for the fight. On business. The fix is in and the white boy wins.
Ngram: fix is in.
2 of 3
1
A variation of the expression can be found in Bernard Malamud's "The Natural," p. 203 (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1952), "The fix is on." The speaker is a not-especially educated man, so the variation is probably deliberate on Malamud's part.
WordHippo
wordhippo.com › what-is › sentences-with-the-word › in_a_fix.html
How to use "in a fix" in a sentence
Find sentences with the word 'in a fix' at wordhippo.com!
Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › sentences › fix
Examples of 'FIX' in a Sentence | Merriam-Webster
'Fix' in a sentence: There's no easy fix to this problem.
The Idioms
theidioms.com › in-a-fix
in a fix meaning, origin, example, sentence, history
However, related phrases illustrate the polysemy of fix: for example, “the fix is in” (indicating corruption or manipulation) derives from a separate sense of fix meaning “to arrange or tamper with,” first recorded around 1790. This branching of senses underscores the word’s versatility and its central role in idiomatic English.
Dictionary.com
dictionary.com › browse › fix
FIX Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Fix definition: to repair; mend.. See examples of FIX used in a sentence.
Longman
ldoceonline.com › dictionary › be-in-a-fix
(be) in a fix | meaning of (be) in a fix in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE
→ fixExamples from the Corpus(be) in a fix• Her belief in the promised afterlife, in a fixed system of rewards and punishments, was great.• She was having difficulty in fixing a chain to Dulcie's collar.• The legislation placed two groups in a fix.• She was involved, she said, in ...
Quora
quora.com › Why-do-people-in-trouble-say-they-are-in-a-fix-when-a-fix-is-what-they-need-to-solve-their-problem
Why do people in trouble say they are 'in a fix' when a fix is what they need to solve their problem? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): The idiom in a fix might sound counter-intuitive if you look at only one definition of the word “fix” as a verb to apply a solution or patch. The origin is Middle English fixen, which means “firmly placed”. The root is thought to be Latin fictus, which means “unchangeable” or “f...
Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english › in-a-fix
IN A FIX definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
IN A FIX definition: pregnant | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples
Reverso
dictionary.reverso.net › english-definition › in+a+fix
IN A FIX - Definition & Meaning - Reverso English Dictionary
5 verb If you fix a problem or a bad situation, you deal with it and make it satisfactory. It's not too late to fix the problem, although time is clearly getting short... V n Fixing a 40-year-old wrong does not mean, however, that history can be undone.
Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english › fix
FIX | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
1. to repair something: 2. to arrange or agree a time, place, price, etc.: 3…
Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english › fix
FIX definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
If you fix a problem or a bad situation, you deal with it and make it satisfactory. It's not too late to fix the problem, although time is clearly getting short. [VERB noun] Fixing a 40-year-old wrong does not mean, however, that history can ...
Published March 12, 2018
YourDictionary
yourdictionary.com › home › dictionary meanings › in a fix definition
In A Fix Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary
In A Fix definition: In a pickle , in a mess , in the soup..
Sentence Dictionary
sentencedict.com › fix.html
Fix in a sentence (esp. good sentence like quote, proverb...)
n. 1. informal terms for a difficult situation 2. something craved, especially an intravenous injection of a narcotic drug 3. the act of putting something in working order again 4. an exemption granted after influence (e.g., money) is brought to bear 5. a determination of the place where something is. v. 1. restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken 2. cause to be firmly attached 3. decide upon or fix definitely 4. prepare for eating by applying heat 5. take vengeance on or get even 6. set or place definitely 7. kill, preserve, and harden (tissue) in order to prepar
US Dictionary
usdictionary.com › home › blog › in a fix : definition, meaning and origin
In A Fix : Definition, Meaning And Origin
June 14, 2023 - Receive information on new articles posted, important topics and tips. ... The idiom "in a fix" means to be in a difficult or problematic situation, especially one that is hard to get out of.