going, going, gone

Idioms  

1. No longer available, as in If you want this last doughnut speak up—going, going, gone! This expression, used by auctioneers to indicate the acceptance of a final bid for an item, is occasionally used more loosely, as in the example. It is beloved by baseball announcers when describing a home run as it approaches and clears the outfield wall. [c. 1800]

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Example Sentences

Those dog days of April — when the Philly weather is cold and the wieners are a steal — are going, going, gone.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024

The A’s might be going, going, gone from Oakland, but MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says the league will continue its initiatives to support youth participation and player training there and elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2023

Much like a Rhys Hoskins’ at-bat worthy of a bat spike, the tickets were going, going, gone in record time.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 27, 2022

Consider Gonzalez, presumed to be going, going, gone after 2018 because some team would offer him a multiyear contract the Nats would be unwise to match.

From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2018

Next day, at ten o'clock, a red flag was fluttering at her window, and while Walter and his mistress were going down the Bay, her furniture was "going, going, gone," to the highest bidder.

From Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York Illustrated by Robinson, Solon