on the blink

Idioms  

1. Also,. Malfunctioning, out of order, broken, as in The TV is on the blink again, or You drive—our car's on the bum. The first of these slangy expressions dates from the late 1800s and possibly alludes to an electric light that flickers on and off (“blinks”); the second, from the same period, possibly is derived from bum in the sense of “a contemptible person”; the third, fritz, dating from about 1900, is of unknown origin.

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Example Sentences

Phone batteries ran down, TVs were on the blink and for many Spaniards their only lifeline to the outside world was from a car or battery-operated radio, as radio stations soldiered on through the blackout.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2025

Black’s sense of danger appears to be on the blink at the critical moment in this Closed Sicilian, making an ill-fated pawn grab when Bodnaruk’s kingside build-up was already looking ominous: 20.

From Washington Times • Jan. 2, 2024

The city opened a handful of self-cleaning toilet kiosks, but they were often on the blink.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2017

“My phone was on the blink and I looked around. I had all these different people trying to help. And this kid, this guy, this man-patriot, got it all fixed.”

From Washington Post • Jul. 21, 2016

She does yoga and hums like a heater on the blink.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake