IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishtake one's ball and go home
Meaning: To quit in a sulk and spoil the activity for everyone else.
Example: “When the vote went against him, he took his ball and went home and resigned from the committee.”
Origin: From children's games, where whoever owns the only ball can end the game by leaving with it. American English from the 20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Spanish: romper la baraja Literally: To break the deck of cards
More English idioms
- a spare tire A roll of fat around the waist.
- count one's chickens before they hatch To rely on something good before it has actually happened.
- small potatoes Something unimportant or trivial.
- a dog's breakfast A complete mess.
- not a peep Not a sound, or not a word from someone.
- get out of hand To become impossible to control.
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