IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishshoot down in flames
Meaning: To reject or destroy an idea or argument completely.
Example: “I suggested a four-day week, and the board shot it down in flames.”
Origin: From aerial combat in the World Wars, where an enemy plane was shot down burning. The figurative use for crushing an idea is from the mid-20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Battre en brèche Literally: To beat into a breach
More English idioms
- set tongues wagging To cause people to gossip.
- give free rein To give someone complete freedom to act.
- take with a grain of salt To be skeptical about something; not to take it entirely at face value.
- the game is not worth the candle The effort or cost is greater than the reward.
- be a third wheel To be an unwanted extra person with a couple.
- like a bat out of hell Extremely fast.
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