number's up, one's/your/his
number's up, one's/your/his
Death or capture is imminent. This term seems to have its roots in the military. In the Royal Navy in the nineteenth century it was usual to say of someone who was killed or drowned, “He lost the number of his mess.” The term was taken up in the U.S. Army, a dead soldier being said to have “lost his mess number.” Eventually “mess” was dropped, and the current cliché was born.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- cold shoulder, to give/show the
- hard/tough sledding
- more (to it) than meets the eye
- cat got your tongue, has the
- drum (something) into one's head, to
- letter perfect
- way to a man's heart, the
- hat in the ring, to put/throw one's
- bottle up feelings, to
- level best, to do one's