down the tubes

Idioms and Phrases

Also, down the tube . Into a state of failure or ruin, as in If he failed the test, his chances went down the tubes . ] Colloquial ; 1960s] Also see down the drain .

Example Sentences

“Most critics are stupid. They really are. Theater criticism has gone right down the tubes,” Cox said.

From Salon

"From that point on I have always had a soft spot for them, but I started focusing on them more and more as Scottish football started to go down the tubes a little bit."

From BBC

The 50-year-old had been picked to do the latest Bushtucker trial, titled Down The Tubes, with fellow campmate Josie Gibson.

From BBC

But with the Court’s legitimacy in question - and its popularity down the tubes - who should hold the Justices accountable?

From Slate

A sample of the reactions included “CNN has really gone down the tubes lately,” “the pundit couldn’t even correct the misgendering of Dylan. This makes me sad.”

From Washington Times