in the sack

13 9.2

Asleep or resting in bed

idiom

Informal

: en la cama

You're not bad in the sack.
hop in the sack
good in the sack

Examples

So hop in the sack, and get a good night's sleep, because starting tomorrow, we have many, many exciting activities planned not the least of which is the race for the Tall Oaks Cup.

American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005)
You should be in the sack.

Flight of the Intruder (1991)
OK, so like one night, about a month ago, Anna and I were in the sack and she wouldn't even kiss me goodnight.

Fiction book (1991)
Five minutes we'll have had a beer, fifteen minutes we'll be in the sack, sixteen minutes I'll be home watching pay-per-view.

The 10 Year Plan (2014)
After a long day at work, she was happy to finally be in the sack and relax.
The kids were in the sack by 8 PM, ready for a good night's sleep.
He usually falls in the sack as soon as his head hits the pillow.

Synonyms

asleep

vsin the sack

471 1.0

Become not awake

is about lighter rest in bed rather than deep unconscious rest

sleeping

vsin the sack

276 1.0

A time when you are not awake

emphasizes being in bed while resting rather than just the resting state

Antonyms

awake

591 1.0

Not sleeping and able to think clearly

How Asleep

sound asleep

17 3.2

in the sack

Informal

13 9.2

drowsing

1 4.1

drowsy

22 2.7

awake

591 1.0

Surface Forms

in the sack positive

Morphology

in + the + sack

The literal constituents 'in' (inside) and 'sack' (a bag) do not by themselves predict the colloquial meaning 'asleep/in bed' because 'sack' as 'bed' is a slang/metaphorical extension. However, the relation is partially recoverable for learners familiar with related idioms like 'hit the sack', so the link is somewhat inferable but not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

In the sack comes from the old image of people sleeping in a sack or bag stuffed with straw and used as a simple bed. So, saying someone is in the sack means they are 'asleep' or 'in bed'.