- To fail completely, especially financially; to go bankrupt or out of business.
Explanation
Origin
- Evokes the image of a dead fish floating upside down (belly up) in the water.
- This image became strongly associated with business failure and bankruptcy in the 20th century.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Tanked
- Crashed and burned
- Bit the dust
- Went tits up (UK/Aus vulgar informal, similar imagery)
- Kaput
Vulgar/Emphatic:
- Fucking tanked
- Went to shit
Milder/Formal:
- Entered administration/receivership
- Ceased operations
- Became insolvent
- Filed for bankruptcy
Situational Appropriateness
- Informal to semi-formal.
- Generally understood in business contexts, but more formal terms like bankruptcy or insolvency are preferred in official reports.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Unlikely to be misunderstood literally due to common usage.
- Ensure the listener understands it usually implies financial failure, not just any kind of failure.
Examples
- The company went belly up after just two years.
- Many restaurants went belly up during the pandemic.
- If we don't secure this loan, the whole venture could go belly up.
Dialogue
Alex: Did you hear about Dave's garage?
Maria: No, what's happened?
Alex: It went belly up. Couldn't compete with the big chains.
Maria: Oh, that's a real shame. Dave was a good mechanic.
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: Another tech startup went belly up. Tough market out there. #startup #fail #business
- Facebook Post: So sad to see my favorite local cafe went belly up. Will miss their coffee! 😠#localbusiness #closed
- LinkedIn Update: Learned a lot from my last venture, even though it ultimately went belly up. Failure is a teacher. #entrepreneurship #lessonslearned
Response Patterns
- Oh no, really?
- That's terrible news.
- I'm not surprised, they seemed to be struggling.
- What happened?
- Did they lose everything?
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
After hearing a business went belly up:
- Ask Why? or What caused it?
- Ask about the fate of the owners/employees.
- Discuss the impact on the market or community.
- Express sympathy.
Conversation Starter
- No. Typically used to convey news about a specific failure.
Intonation
- Stress usually falls on belly and up.
- The intonation can be matter-of-fact or slightly dramatic, depending on context. Went BELLY UP.
Generation Differences
- Widely understood and used across most adult generations.
Regional Variations
- Common in most English-speaking countries. Go bust is perhaps slightly more common in the UK.