BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA, THE


Meaning of BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA, THE in English

ˌBlack ˌHole of Calˈcutta, the BrE AmE

a small, very crowded room or dark place is sometimes described as being ‘like the Black Hole of Calcutta’. This phrase comes from a small room used as a prison in Calcutta, India where many British prisoners died during one night in 1756.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.