We’re in a Tight Spot

Origin

The expression "in a tight spot" dates back to the 1800s, used across Britain and America to mean a difficult or constrained situation. It likely arose from the physical sense of being squeezed or trapped. While it was never uniquely Southern, the phrase took on a new cultural flavor after the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? set in the Depression-era South, where George Clooney’s character Everett repeats it with comic urgency. The line became a memorable quote, blending a standard idiom with a distinct Southern rhythm.

Verdict: Southernish. A common English idiom that gained a Southern stamp through modern pop culture.