【dead end】 —

1. an end of a passage, such as a street or pipe, that affords no exit:

• The passage was a 【dead end】 . Ten meters in front of her, a solid stone wall stood, trapping her.

2. a point beyond which no progress can be made:

• The project turned out to be a 【dead end】 . The longer I worked on it the less I was able to actually produce something.

【living end】 , the—

1. said of a person or thing that is extremely good or quite extraordinary:

• We were big fans of their band. We thought it was the 【living end】 in those days.

2. said of a person or thing that is very annoying or irritating:

• The man was really the 【living end】 . When his typing was interrupted he threw his hands in the air and sighed loudly.