His big business idea went down in flames.
go down in flames
idiom B1
To fail miserably and with long-term consequences.
Origin
disputed originFrom aerial combat in the World Wars: aircraft shot down would crash burning.
The project went down in flames after the team missed every deadline and lost their main investor.
Despite his ambitious promises to reform the department, his entire strategy went down in flames when the audit revealed massive financial mismanagement.
- 01
all dressed up and nowhere to go
Elaborately attired or otherwise fully prepared for an anticipated situation or activity which, nevertheless, fails to occur.
- 02
all systems go
Everything is ready.
- 03
as you go
While one is doing (something); as one progresses.
- 04
boldly go where no man has gone before
To break new ground.
- 05
come and go
To repeatedly appear and disappear; to be transient.
- 06
don't go there
Do not broach that topic.
- 07
easy come, easy go
Easily won and easily lost (usually said when resigned to a loss; something that comes in the same way, goes in the same way)
- 08
enough to go around
There is an adequate amount or supply of something for all of the people present or involved.