go down the tube

Related to go down the tube: go down the chute, gone down the tubes

go down the tubes

1. To be ruined or destroyed; to be caused to fail completely. My father's company is going down the tubes because of the incompetent new CEO.
2. To be squandered; to be wastefully used up or discarded. All of our savings have gone down the tubes ever since Jack had his little gambling spree in Las Vegas.
See also: down, go, tube
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

go down the ˈtube/ˈtubes

(informal) (of a plan, company, situation, etc.) fail: The education system is going down the tubes.
See also: down, go, tube
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

go down the tube

verb
See go down the tubes
See also: down, go, tube
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • cook the books
  • cue
  • (right) on cue
  • cook the accounts
  • a/the fish rots from the head down
  • a/the fish stinks from the head down
  • be in the right spot at the right time
  • be had up (for something)
  • thick on the ground
  • thick/thin on the ground
References in periodicals archive
Half a century of watching this show go down the tubes and now the death blow.
THE BIG QUESTION
Craig said: "I'm a staunch Hibs supporter but the same way I wouldn't want Rangers to go down the tubes, I don't want Hearts to go down the tubes, or anyone else.
I'D BE HEARTBROKEN IF JAMBOS GO BUST; Proclaimers star Craig wants rivals to survive
Other small countries, with less natural resources, do things for themselves and are prospering while we go down the tubes. Why don't we care?
Relegation zone; & COMMENT DEBATE YOUR LETTERS TO THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF WALES
WHEN you have just seen your hopes of being the champion of your sport go down the tubes, then it is hardly surprising that the victim will lash out at anything within reach.
The fall and fall of Moore
"We are always being asked by the government to co-operate with partners, but just because the funding and the judicial review timescales are not in synch, the project could go down the tubes.
RED TAPE IS THREAT TO OUR HOPES; Delay could kill off children's centre
and then unfortunately all your good work may go down the tubes because the last thing they remember is that you didn't follow up on the things you needed to."
One final note: why your last impression is as important as your first
ULSTER'S tourism and entertainment industry is set for a series of blows which could see hundreds of jobs go down the tubes, Sunday People has learned.
Reg voices fears of an Ulster jobs meltdown
We're seeing a lot of good ideas go down the tubes because of an unforgiving and unrealistic market.
Warren Buffett
"Lets face it, the Advertiser is just the latest greyhound paper to go down the tubes including two glossy magazines, the Greyhound Owner and among the dailies, the Greyhound Express and the Sporting Life.
'Room for just one monthly' OPEN CHECK