High and dry
I was reading an article about a Hollywood actor who decided not to be doing a film at the last moment, and there was a sentence I don't understand its meaning:

Lerner says that he(an actor) has left his company high and dry, and it's not the first time this scenario has played out in Hollywood.

What does 'high and dry' mean in this context?

Question

High and dry
I was reading an article about a Hollywood actor who decided not to be doing a film at the last moment, and there was a sentence I don't understand its meaning:

Lerner says that he(an actor) has left his company high and dry, and it's not the first time this scenario has played out in Hollywood.

What does 'high and dry' mean in this context?

Answer

To leave someone or something "high and dry" means to leave them with a difficult problem. In this case it would be difficult for the company to find another actor at such short notice.

Answer

Gary, Hamza thank you very much for the answers :)

Answer

It comes from the idea of a boat being 'beached'. If you tie up a boat, and the tide goes out, the boat ends up high above the water, and it dries out. It is then useless as a boat, since unless it is small enough to move by hand, you cannot use it as a boat, at least not until the tide refloats it.

Answer

According to Cambridge Dictionary, to leave someone high and dry means to leave someone in a difficult situation without providing any help.

Answers · 5

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