PhrasesHub

Down the tubes

    Definitions

      • something being ruined or failing
        To describe a situation or event that has gone wrong or is not working out as planned.

      • wasted or lost
        To indicate that something has been wasted or lost, usually in a negative or disappointing way.

      • decline or deterioration
        To refer to a gradual decline or deterioration of something, such as a relationship, a business, or a situation.

      • gone or disappeared
        To express that something or someone is no longer present or available, often in a negative or undesirable way.

    Examples of Down the tubes

    • The new product's poor sales are sending it down the tubes.

      This means that the product's sales are decreasing rapidly and it seems unlikely that it will be successful. The idea of going "down the tubes" comes from the early days of electricity generation when power stations used large, cylindrical tubes to transport water to the turbines. If something went wrong with the system and the water level dropped, the turbines would slow down or stop, causing a power cut (blackout). Once the fault was fixed, the water was pumped back into the tubes, but it had gone "down the tubes" in the meantime, meaning it was unusable.

    • If we don't make some changes, the company's finances are heading down the tubes.

      The company's finances are getting worse and worse, and if nothing is done, the situation will become critical.

    • The government's policies are leading us down the tubes.

      This means that the government's policies are having a negative effect and causing problems. Just as going "down the tubes" in an electricity generation system caused problems, so too can bad policies lead to negative outcomes.

    • The project's budget has gone down the tubes.

      This means that the project has exceeded its budget and is now losing money. The idea comes from the fact that when something goes wrong with an electricity generation system, the water level drops and water "goes down the tubes." In a similar way, when a project's budget goes wrong, it might be said to have "gone down the tubes."I hope this helps clarify the meaning and usage of the "Down the tubes" idiom! Let me know if you have any other questions or if you'd like more information about any other idioms.

    • Her presentation was so terrible that I'm afraid it went down the tubes.

      This means that the presentation was such a disaster that it was completely unsuccessful. "Down the tubes" suggests that the presentation has been ruined and will not be successful anymore, like a physical object that goes down a drain or a pipe (a tube).

    • If we keep wasting money like this, our company is going down the tubes.

      In this example, "going down the tubes" means that the company is failing, heading towards bankruptcy or insolvency. It's derived from the idea of a physical object sliding away into an unretrieable place, like water going down a drain.

    • The deal with the client fell through and now it seems like everything is going down the tubes.

      This example means that the failure of the deal has negatively impacted everything else, making everything else seem unsuccessful as well. It implies that the failure has caused a domino effect, leading to more failures and problems.

    • This project is doomed - it's already gone down the tubes.

      In this last example, "gone down the tubes" suggests that the project is completely and irreversibly failed, and nothing can be done to save it. It emphasizes the sense of hopelessness and despair associated with failure, indicating that the situation is beyond repair.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "down the tubes" is commonly used to describe a situation or event that has gone wrong or is not working out as planned. It can also refer to the idea that something has been wasted or lost, usually in a negative or disappointing way. Furthermore, it can be used to describe a gradual decline or deterioration of something, such as a relationship, a business, or a situation. Lastly, it can express that something or someone is no longer present or available, often in a negative or undesirable way.

    Origin of "Down the tubes"

    The origin of the idiom "down the tubes" is uncertain. Some believe it originated from the phrase "down the drain," which was used to describe something going to waste or being lost. Others suggest it may have come from the idea of something being flushed down a tube or pipe, implying a sense of disappearance or being gone. The first recorded use of the phrase was in the 1940s, and it became more popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It is believed to have originated in the United States and has since become a widely used phrase in many English-speaking countries.