game is up, the

Idioms and Phrases

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.