go down the tube

/ɡˌəʊ dˌaʊn ðə tjˈuːbz/

/ɡˌoʊ dˌaʊn ðə tˈuːbz/

[phrase]

to go down the tube

[PHRASE]

to experience a significant decline, failure, or deterioration in a situation, project, or endeavor

to [go] down the [tube] definition and meaning

What is the origin of the idiom "go down the tube" and when to use it?

The idiom “go down the tube” is believed to have originated in the 1930s, when people would throw unwanted items down the sewer pipes. Over time, the phrase came to be used in a figurative sense to describe anything that is going to waste or being ruined.

Examples

1. Before we go down the tube, I want you to understand exactly how the torpedo launching system works.

2. The company's reputation went down the tubes after a major scandal and subsequent loss of customers.

3. After investing all their savings in the stock market, they watched as their portfolio went down the tube.

4. The artist's career was on the rise, but after a series of bad reviews and cancelled shows, it went down the tubes.

Nearby words

go down swinging

go down like a lead balloon

go from strength to strength

go great guns