The game is up
Meaning
The secret plan or deception has been discovered and can no longer continue.
Origin
The phrase 'the game is up' echoes from the hunting fields and gambling dens of 17th-century England. Imagine the thrill of the chase, the hounds baying, the quarry cornered—then, suddenly, the game, be it deer or fox, is brought down. The hunt is concluded. Or perhaps it's the gambler at the table, his final card revealed, his hand exposed—the game, for him, has definitively ended. This vivid imagery of a pursuit reaching its conclusion, or a secret strategy laid bare, gradually transformed into a punchy idiom. It became the perfect declaration for when a deception was unveiled, a plot foiled, or a hidden agenda finally brought to light, marking the moment of unavoidable discovery.
Examples
- When the police found the hidden stash, the criminal knew the game was up and surrendered.
- After years of pretending, she realized her charade couldn't last forever; eventually, the game would be up.