go phut fail to work properly or at all. informal

☞ Phut is usually considered to be imitative of a dull, abrupt sound, like that made by a rifle or a machine breaking down. In fact, its earliest recorded use is by Rudyard Kipling in the late 19th century, and the context makes it likely that it was an Anglo-Indian word from Hindi and Urdu phatnā meaning 'to burst'.