Things really hit the fan when the boss found out.
hit the fan
idiomTo have a dramatic, usually negative, effect.
Origin
disputed originUncertain. Possibly derived from an old joke: A man in a crowded bar needed to defecate but couldn't find a bathroom, so he went upstairs and used a hole in the floor. Returning, he found everyone had gone except the bartender, who was cowering behind the bar. When the man asked what had happened, the bartender replied, 'Where were you when the shit hit the fan?' Other possible sources include American or Canadian military slang or agricultural manure spreaders.
The project was already behind schedule, but everything hit the fan when the main server crashed unexpectedly.
The political scandal had been simmering for weeks, but it finally hit the fan when the leaked documents appeared on the front page of the newspaper.
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bandwagon fan
A fan who has shown no past loyalty to a team and supports them all because they are actively succeeding or trendy.
- 02
don't let the door hit you on the way out
Used as a command to leave in haste, or to indicate that one is glad, or at least unmoved, to see the addressed person leaving.
- 03
fair-weather fan
A fan who only pays attention to their favorite team when they are performing well.
- 04
fall out of the ugly tree and hit every branch
To become extremely unattractive.
- 05
fan dance
The incremental disclosure of tantalizing bits of information.
- 06
fan the flames
To intensify or worsen an already difficult situation.
- 07
fart fan
A ceiling fan in a bathroom
- 08
hit a lick
To earn a large sum of money in a short amount of time, usually illegally.