Sandbag someone

Origin of: Sandbag someone

Sandbag someone

To sandbag someone is American slang for putting someone in dire or disastrous circumstances. This figurative meaning dates from the late 19th century and derives from the earlier, literal practice of using a sandbag, which was a small bag filled with sand, as a weapon, rather like a cosh. Thus, to ‘sandbag’ someone was originally to give them a good bashing with a sandbag, which in time led the current figurative meaning.