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game is up, the

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Idioms & Phrases

game is up, the

Also, the jig is up. The trick or deception has been exposed. For example, When they took inventory they realized what was missing, and the game was up for the department head. This expression dates from the mid-1800s and uses up in the sense of "over" or "lost." The variant employs jig in the sense of "trickery," a usage dating from about 1600.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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