Down in the dumps idiom
Meaning: out of spirits; in a gloomy state of mind; despondent.
- (be) down in the mouth;
- (be) in a bad mood;
- (be) in a bad temper;
- (be) in bad humour;
- (be) in low spirits;
- (be) out of sorts.
Origin
The phrase is first recorded with down in Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785), but dumps occurs in this meaning from the 16th cent (e.g. Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew (1592) 11.i.279 ‘Why, how now, daughter Katherine – in your dumps?’).
There is a fable frequently quoted as the origin of dumps, which states that Dumops, King of Egypt, after building a Pyramid died of melancholia. Therefore, to be in the dumps is to be in the same state of mind as Dumops. It is, of course, nonsense.
It is probable that the word is derived from the Dutch dompig 'dull, low, misty'. Another likely source is our own damp: to be damped down.
Down in the Dumps in a sentence:
"Well," blustered Mr. Bounderby, "what's the matter? what is young Thomas in the dumps about?"
"We were peeping at the circus," muttered Louisa haughtily ...'and father caught us."
(Dickens, Hard Times 1854 )