when the chips are down When a situation has become especially difficult, desperate, or hard to recover from. The expression alludes to having a low amount of poker chips, which means that one may soon lose.
When the chips are down in English?
"when the chips are down" in English. See all translations. when the chips are down. informal. › when you are in a very difficult or dangerous situation, especially one that makes you understand the true value of people or things: One day when the chips are down, you will know who your true friends are. Thesaurus: synonyms and related words.
What does it mean to have a low amount of chips?
The expression alludes to having a low amount of poker chips, which means that one may soon lose. You can tell a lot about a person's character from how they act when the chips are down. Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
When all the bets have been made and the chips put down?
When all the bets have been made, and the chips put down, the hand is over and the players turn up their cards to see who has won. [Late 1800s] The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
What does it mean when someone says the chips are up?
The situation is urgent or desperate, or both. The term comes from poker, where the chips represent money being wagered. When all the bets are in, the hand is over and the cards must be turned faceup to determine who has the winning hand.
Where does the phrase when the chips are down come from?
The expression when the chips are down comes from gambling and refers to the time during a game of chance when the bets have been made, but the outcome is not yet known.
When all comes down meaning?
If a situation or decision comes down to something, that is the thing that influences it most: What it all comes down to is your incredible insecurity. It all comes down to money in the end.
What is another word for came down?
“This pearl of wisdom has come down through the generations.”...What is another word for came down?fellfelleddescendeddroppedplummetedplummettedplungeddiveddovecrashed21 more rows
What it really comes down to meaning?
Definition of come down to : to have (something) as the most important part People talk about various reasons for the company's failure, but it all comes down to one thing: a lack of leadership.
What is the meaning of come down '?
verb. came down; come down; coming down; comes down. intransitive verb. : to lose or fall in estate or condition.
What is the sentence of come down?
come down Definitions and Synonyms He was sitting in a tree and refused to come down. In the afternoon, the rain really started to come down.
What does calm down mean?
to stop feeling upset, angry, or excited, or to stop someone feeling this way: She sat down and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She was angry at first but we managed to calm her down. Calm down, for goodness sake.
What is the meaning of cool down?
Definition of cooldown : the act or an instance of allowing physiological activity to return to normal gradually after strenuous exercise by engaging in less strenuous exercise.
When do chips come down?
When a situation is urgent or desperate, as in When the chips were down, all the children came home to help their mother. This expression comes from poker, where chipsrepresent money being bet. When all the bets have been made, and the chips put down, the hand is over and the players turn up their cards to see who has won. [Late 1800s]
What does it mean when someone says "chips down"?
There will be no panic. We are at our best when the chips are down. When the chips are down, you do what you have to do. Note: You can also say the chips are down, meaning that a situation has just become difficult or dangerous. Manchester City face table-topping Newcastle today and the manager said: `The chips are down and it's time to show a bit of character.' Note: In a casino, the players lay their chips down on the table to make their bets.
What does it mean to cash in chips?
From the same source come two other clichés, to cash in one’s chips, meaning to die , since turning in one’s chips for money signifies the end of the game; and in the chips, meaning to be rich, that is, having very many chips. All these expressions date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
What does "chips" mean in gambling?
This idiom refers to the use of chips (= small flat pieces of plastic) to represent money when gambling.
