go off the rails

Meaning: To lose control of one's life or behavior.

Language: English

Literally: (Already vivid in English)

Example: “He went off the rails for a year after the business failed.”

Category: Daily Life

Origin: A train off its rails no longer goes where it should. The figurative phrase is British, common from the 19th century.

Equivalents in other languages

Russian: пускаться во все тяжкие (puskat'sya vo vse tyazhkiye) — literally: to set oneself into all the grave things

there's nothing for it — There is no other choice.
on the back of an envelope — Roughly worked out, without proper tools or care.
truth be told — To be honest about it.
for the life of me — However hard I try.
kick the can down the road — To put off dealing with a problem, leaving it for later.
drop the ball — To make a mistake, especially by failing to do something one was responsible for.

a scapegoat — Someone blamed for others' faults.
away with the fairies — Daydreaming, or not quite in touch with reality.
come out of the closet — To tell people openly that one is gay or lesbian; more broadly, to reveal something kept…
neither here nor there — Not relevant to the matter being discussed.
something is rotten in the state of Denmark — Something is seriously wrong, often something being hidden.
at this stage of the game — At this point in a process, usually when it is late to change things.

Sobremesa — The unhurried conversation that lingers long after a meal, when no one wants to leave the…
Gigil — The overwhelming urge to squeeze or pinch something unbearably cute.
Iktsuarpok — The restless anticipation that makes you keep stepping outside to see if someone is final…