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- DictionaryGo over like a lead balloon
- ▪ (of something said or written) be poorly received
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In the UK a complete failures ‘go down like a lead balloon’. The phrase is American in origin and the first mention of a lead balloon with the meaning of something that fails comes from a Mom-N Pop cartoon that was syndicated in several US newspapers in June 1924.
Sep 20, 2021 · Of American-English origin, the phrase lead balloon denotes a failure, an unsuccessful venture. It is especially used of suggestions, jokes, etc., made in public. The image is of a balloon made of lead plummeting to the ground. —Cf. also the phrase like the man who fell out of the balloon, not in it. The image of a lead balloon not becoming ...
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The expression “lead balloon” describes a project, idea, or process that was a total failure due to a lack of support. The phrase has two versions. It appears as “go over like a lead balloon” in America. People in the UK will phrase it as “go down like a lead balloon.” Both sayings have the same meaning, referring to a failed attempt that received ...
“Well, that idea turned out to be a lead balloon. I showed up on Saturday expecting a crowd, and no one showed up.” “The project is a lead balloon, and it’s dead in the water. We put it out to market, and it failed to create the adoption we expected.” “You could say that the program was a lead balloon. We had high hopes for it at launch, but things...
The expression “lead balloon” originates from a syndicated newspaper cartoon circulating in June 1924. Surprisingly, the phrase didn’t catch on till two decades later, after the end of World War II. The first recorded use of the saying appears in the Atchison Daily Globe, in an article published in May 1947, where it appears as follows. “But occasi...
Dismal failure.Sank like a stone.To bomb.Go down in flames.Skyrocketing success.Outstanding achievement.Go over like a lead balloon.Go down like a lead balloon.The phrase has nothing to do with balloons or lead. The balloon in the expression is your idea or concept. To “go down” or “go over” means that the project sank into failure with no support from the people you needed to make it work.
You can use the phrase “lead balloon” to describe an idea that didn’t pan out as you expected, resulting in a total failure of the venture. The term suits social and professional situations. You could say your idea of going to the park on the weekend turned out to be a lead balloon because none of your friends showed up. It’s a way of saying that n...
To Go Over Like a Lead Balloon Meaning. Definition: An idea or an attempt that is a total failure with no support from others. The American version of the phrase is go over like a lead balloon. The British version of the phrase is go down like a lead balloon.
What Is the Origin of the Saying "Go Down Like a Lead Balloon"? The term "go down like a lead balloon" means to be poorly received by an audience or to be a total failure. In the US, "go over like a lead balloon" is also used.
May 30, 2024 · lead balloon in British English. (lɛd bəˈluːn ) noun. 1. informal. a total failure. transforming a golden opportunity into a lead balloon. 2. See to go down like a lead balloon. Collins English Dictionary.
Lead balloon. A simile for a flop or failure for the obvious reason that a lead balloon cannot stay aloft, first attested in America during the 1920s but only came into widespread use after WWII.
