take a bath—(coll.) have large financial losses on an investment, etc.:
- The broker warned me that I might take a bath if I bought this stuff.
take an early bath—
1. (be forced to) stop doing smth. before one had a chance to finish:
- He was all set to take an early bath from his marriage to have an affair with Suzannah Dwyer.
2. (of a sportsman) be ordered to leave the field before the end of play for breaking the rules:
- Paulo Wanchope was the other player to take an early bath, also for serious foul play.