fall by the wayside
Related to fall by the wayside: off chance, rub off, at the outset
fall by the wayside
1. To fail or fall behind at something. If you don't do your homework now, it won't be long before you fall by the wayside in this class.
2. To be discarded, ignored, rejected, or set aside in favor of other considerations or more urgent matters. With the economy suffering, the president's plan for environmental reform has increasingly fallen by the wayside.
See also: by, fall, wayside
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
fall by the wayside
Fail to continue, drop out, as in At first she did well on the tour, but with all the pressure she soon fell by the wayside . This phrase appeared in William Tyndale's translation of the New Testament (1526; Luke 8:5).
See also: by, fall, wayside
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
fall by the wayside
COMMON
1. If someone falls by the wayside, they fail in something they are doing and give up trying to succeed in it. Players either perform well and deal with the pressure, or fall by the wayside. Only about half of this group will graduate. The rest will fall by the wayside. Note: You can also say that someone falls by the way. Various team members have fallen by the way over the years.
2. If something falls by the wayside, it fails or is forgotten about. His marriage had fallen by the wayside some years earlier. Other proposals fell by the wayside. Parties change over the years as games and dancing fall by the wayside. Note: You can also say that something falls by the way. Bullick said a number of other businesses had fallen by the way for similar reasons. Note: This expression comes from the story of the sower told by Jesus in the Bible. The seed which falls by the wayside and is eaten by birds represents the people who listen to what Jesus says, but are soon tempted by Satan and disregard what they have heard. (Mark 4:4)
See also: by, fall, wayside
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
fall by the wayside
1 fail to persist in an endeavour or undertaking. 2 be left without attention or help.In sense 1 the phrase alludes to the biblical parable of the sower in Mark 4:3–20, and in particular to verse 4: ‘And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up’.
See also: by, fall, wayside
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
fall by the ˈwayside
not be able to continue something that needs effort, discipline, etc.; begin to be dishonest, immoral, etc: 25 students began the course but a number have fallen by the wayside and only 12 will be taking the exam.This is from a story in the Bible in which the seeds that fell by the wayside (= by the side of a path) did not grow.See also: by, fall, wayside
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
fall by the wayside
To fail to continue; give up.
See also: by, fall, wayside
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
fall by the wayside, to
To drop out, fail to finish. The term comes from the Bible, specifically Jesus’s parable of the sower as related in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 13: “Behold, a sower went forth to sow and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up.” The seeds then are likened to the word of God, and the fowls to the wicked who “snatch up” the word from those who do not understand it. Subsequently, persons who strayed from the straight and narrow were said to fall by the wayside. Jonathan Swift included it in his Polite Conversation (1738), “If you fall by the way, don’t stay to get up again.”
See also: by, fall
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- fall by the wayside, to
- fall to pieces
- slide over
- fall in on
- fall in on (someone or something)
- fallen
- fall from grace
- fall from grace, to
- flake off
- flake off of