(be on) a/the slippery slopeBritish EnglishBrE informalWORSE used to talk about a process or habit that is difficult to stop and which will develop into something extremely bad 〔过程或习惯〕走向极坏的境地(be on) a/the slippery slope to/towards He is on the slippery slope to a life of crime. 他正滑向犯罪的深渊。
slippery to/towards• In the 60s and 70s the announcement would have been the start of the slippery slope to election defeat.• He paused only to shake the wet from his shoulders, then trod up the slippery slope to the house door.• Too often we are faced with clamouring up the slippery slopes to the law more than sliding down them.
→ (be on) a/the slippery slope at slippery(1)