Scrub Turn

When someone who was previously going places drops their ambitions, often in favor of fitting in with a lower-achieving social circle.

Synonyms: To fall off, to lose one's edge

Etymology: From the pro wrestling term "heel turn" except instead of becoming a heel (villain), the person in question becomes a scrub (underachiever)

Diego got into a great university, but he took a scrub turn and centered his life mainly around drinking and playing video games with his buddies. Now a year after graduating college, he seems less talented than he was back in high school.

There's a lot of pressure to turn scrub, but you only get one life to make your dreams come true.

by GenTelGuy July 13, 2023