tear it

that tears it

1. That's been ruined or spoiled. Well, that tears it for our chances at getting re-elected. A: "That didn't sound good." B: "Yep, that's torn it—the engine is completely shot now."
2. I've had it; that's enough. OK, that tears it, I'm calling the police—it's 2 AM and that party is still blasting music.
See also: tear, that
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

tear it

Ruin something, spoil one's chances, as in She knew she'd torn it when she lost the address. It is often put as that tears it, as in He's a whole week late-well, that tears it for the September issue. [Colloquial; early 1900s]
See also: tear
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • that tears it
  • That tears it!
  • that's torn it
  • that's more like it
  • that's about the size of it
  • That’s about the size of it
  • that's just it
  • that's all
  • that's right
  • That’s the stuff!
References in periodicals archive
GO ON A TEAR It's worth the cold knees to look smart
DC: When I tear it up, it's a different feeling, it's not a collage, it's not about tearing apart, I can make a person feel things more deeply, I can make things more abstract, in the form, in the composition, as I said, I conjure up the landscape in my mind, and lead the person who is looking into it to finish it, to make their meaning from it, and using torn bits of paper seems to open things up and leave things indefinite in ways that invite the viewer in, as in Blue Woman #5, and Drawing #16.
The idea is to maximize the cricket viewing experience and even take it to a whole new previously unforeseen level - at least that's what Toshiba would have you believe - as Cricket Mode enhances the lush green outfield inside a stadium, the cracks on the pitch & the fast moving cricket ball - also the wear and tear it's subjected to and its subtle shift in appearance throughout a game.
You whispered to me softly as I brushed away my tear It's me I haven't left you Mum, me and our John are well and fine and we are always here.) -Forever brokenhearted Mum xxx.
Away in a crack den, Just barely alive There's Pete in his trilby Amy with her beehive The stars in their torn clothes Look trampish today But don't shed a tear It's their bohemian way The stray cats are purring The poor Petey wakes He looks for his crack pipe To get rid of the shakes "I love thee, sweet crack pipe You get me so high So stay by my side, To kiss brain cells good-bye Be near me, sweet crack pipe I ask thee to stay Close by me forever To puff whole days away Bless all the dear crack pipes Be they little or small You take me to heaven Where I spliff-up a ball!
ELEGANT CURLS Take a fairly good weight of paper and tear it into strips, so that the edges of your strips will be "soft." Now, curl the strips using a broom handle, dowel, small-diameter mailing tube or the edge of a desk.
But all Mickelson had had to say on the subject of Woods was: 'If you're looking for me to shed a tear it's not going to happen."
All Mickelson had had to say on Woods' plight was: "If you are looking for me to shed a tear it's not going to happen."
The truth is that if anyone deserves to shed a tear it's Stephen Quinn, who has, in a short time, had to deal with his wife's serial infidelity and the discovery that his son, and unborn child, may not be his.
But should it matter if your body shows a little of the wear and tear it's been through over the years?
"We want to be in this for the long term," says Richard Fallon, a professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School, "and we're not going to tear it up because we're so angry about what happens in a particular case."
``The pitch is playing all right, but as the sun heats it a bit more and there's a bit more wear and tear it's going to get more and more difficult.