something in the water
- idiom
- Informal
:
algo en el agua
- Many residents believe there's something in the water that causes the strange behavior in the city.
Examples
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After the recent changes in the community, people started saying there's something in the water affecting everyone's mood.
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There's something in the water.
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There's something in the water.
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Scientists are investigating if there's something in the water that could explain the increase in health issues among the locals.
Synonyms
165
7.1
Something that is not normal or expected
12
9.5
An unexpected, unexplained change in a situation or a person's behavior
A thing that people cannot understand or explain
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal meanings of 'something' + 'in' + 'water' make it plausible for a learner to infer an environmental cause (i.e., that the water contains something causing effects), so a basic causal reading is accessible. However, the phrase is a conventionalized, metaphorical way to explain unexplained group behaviour and carries an idiomatic nuance beyond the literal constituents, so its full pragmatic meaning may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
Something in the water comes from the image of a town where the local water had a change that made many people act alike, for example get sick or suddenly feel more energetic. So, it means there is a 'mysterious cause' or 'unknown factor' making a group behave the same.