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down the tube(s)
Awry; in a state of deterioration or failure. You got a C average? Boy, your grades have really gone down the tubes this semester. We had big plans for our trip, but the terrible weather made it all go down the tube.
go down the tubes
(spoken) also go down the tube to fail or become much worse His business is going down the tubes and he's about to lose his house. Prices are going up and the service is terrible - everything's going down the tubes.
down the tube/tubes
1. (informal) if something goes down the tubes, it fails or disappears Our holiday plans went down the tube because of the train strike.
2. (American informal) if someone goes down the tubes, they fail He's in danger of going down the tubes if he doesn't learn to get on with people at work.
down the tubes
Also,
down the tube. Into a state of failure or ruin, as in
If he failed the test, his chances went down the tubes. ]
Colloquial; 1960s] Also see
down the drain.
bake the tube steak
tv. to copulate. Bobby was set to bake the tube steak last night, but he failed to preheat the oven.
boob-tube
(ˈbubˈtub) n. a television set. (Something for a boob to watch.) You spend too much time in front of the boob-tube.
cop a tube
tv. to catch a perfect tubular wave. (Surfers.) Mark—as drunk as all get out—said he was gonna go out and cop a tube.
crack a tube
tv. to open a can of beer. (see also
tube.)
Why don’t you drop over this evening, and we’ll crack a few tubes? 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.
go down the tube
verbin the tube
1. mod. in the “tube” or arch of a large wave. (Surfing.) On a day like today, I want to be out there in the tube.
2. mod. at risk. He’s in the tube now, but things should straighten out soon.
tube
1. n. a can of beer. (see also
crack a tube.)
Toss me a tube, will ya? 2. n. the inner curve of a tall wave. (see also
tubular.)
I’m waiting for the best tube. 3. in. to fail; to go down the tube(s). (see also
tube it.)
The whole plan tubed at the last minute. 4. n. a television set. The tube is in the shop, so I read a book.
5. n. a cigarette. There’s a pack of tubes in my jacket.
tube it
tv. to fail a test. (see also
tube.)
I was afraid I’d tube it, so I studied my head off. tube steak
1. n. a frankfurter or a wiener. (see also
pimp steak.)
I could live on tube steak. Nothing is better! 2. and tube steak of love n. the penis. She laughed so hard when he said “tube steak of love,” that he lost interest, so to speak. His tube steak was reminding him that it was time to get up.
tube steak of love
verbtubed
mod. alcohol intoxicated. (see also
tube.)
They were both tubed and giggling. flushed down the tubes
Defeated. A 1950s college expression drawn from waste removal. After an exam that was more difficult than anticipated, a student might groan, “Man, did I get flushed down the tubes!”
tube steak
A humorous (and sometimes pretentious) name for a plain ol' hot dog.