# les jeux sont faits

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/les-jeux-sont-faits
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Things have reached an irreversible point; you cannot go back now that you have done something.

## Examples

- I sent the email, so les jeux sont faits.
- You sold the house, so les jeux sont faits now.
- He quit his job today, and les jeux sont faits.
- Once you sign the contract and hand it over, les jeux sont faits and you cannot change the terms.
- The plane has already left the runway, so les jeux sont faits regarding our travel plans for the weekend.
- We submitted the final version of the project to the boss this morning, so les jeux sont faits for our team.
- With the final ballot cast and the polls now closed, les jeux sont faits for the candidates awaiting the election results.

## Origin

Borrowed from the French phrase *les jeux sont faits*, meaning "the games are made," the expression appears in English records in the 1920s. James Joyce (1882–1941) provides the earliest recorded usage of the term, adopting the croupier's call from the roulette table to indicate that no further bets may be placed and the outcome is settled.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.