go down the tubes

Related to go down the tubes: raring to go, without a hitch, worse for wear

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

go down the tube(s)

and go down the chute
in. to fail totally; to be ruined. I tried, but it all went down the tube. All my plans just went down the chute.
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
'It was always a given that the union between the Material Girl and her mockney cockney was guaranteed to go down the tubes'
What direction will Ritchie take next?
You will recall from last week's words of wisdom that, even in times like these, money can be made from short selling and whilst I would not wish to see a great British company go down the tubes, one has to ask how much more can Marconi stand.
Bears maul Marconi but dead cats bounce; STOCK MARKET: Future uphill for telecoms supplier which has broken into American market in a big way
However, Northern Ireland also had a good result holding Denmark to a 1-1 draw in Copenhagen - and the manager is in no mood to see all that hard work go down the tubes.
Football: I'LL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH IF WE BREAK ICE; N.Ireland v Iceland Sammy wants to end campaign on a high
"We also have an absolutely brilliant flyweight kid called Mathew Coyle coming through but all this could go down the tubes unless we find a new gym urgently within the Glasgow area."
Boxing: Help stop our Noble club dying; KID GLOVES FIGHT FOR FUTURE
FEARS are growing that 1000 Scots jobs could go down the tubes after the sacking of 90 people at a huge manufacturing plant.
Fears over 1000 jobs
A FRUSTRATED couple spent a fortune on hotel bills and watched their sex life go down the tubes - all because of a jealous dog.
BEGGING FOR IT; Desperate Phil's sex life ruined by his partner's jealous Yorkie
"I strongly believe the moment a child is conceived the parents' rights go down the tubes.
Divorce leads to suicide in young