down the tubes

Idioms  

1. Also, down the tube. Into a state of failure or ruin, as in If he failed the test, his chances went down the tubes. ] Colloquial; 1960s] Also see down the drain.

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Example Sentences

"From that point on I have always had a soft spot for them, but I started focusing on them more and more as Scottish football started to go down the tubes a little bit."

From BBC • Feb. 29, 2024

“It’s when people can’t hear any other stories that things go down the tubes very fast.”

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2022

Cohen might consider refreshing her palette before taking the Greeks, in toto, down the tubes again.

From Washington Post • Nov. 12, 2021

I got to really face the reality of that because it was my dress and if it didn't sell, my job was going to go down the tubes and the company down the tubes.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2020

If you go and tell your boss that you’ve found Marburg virus and you are wrong, your career goes down the tubes.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston