GO OVERBOARD, GO OVER LIKE A LEAD BALLOON, GO TO PIECES: American English Idioms #100

GO OVERBOARD

The idiom to go overboard typically means to take an action that’s excessive. For example, if someone says they’re going to be too busy with work and can’t do any more chores around the house, their partner might say “you’ve gone overboard.” A person can also go overboard by doing something they didn’t originally intend to do.

To go overboard is to exceed the bounds of reasonable, sensible, or moderate behavior. For example, if someone goes overboard with their generosity, they are excessive in their giving. Someone who’s going overboard with the makeup is wearing too much makeup. If someone is going overboard about something they’re not familiar with, they’re making a big deal out of it.

The idiom “to go overboard” is used to describe excessive expenditure of resources. It originates from the nautical term “going overboard” meaning to fall off a boat after being toppled into the water. For example, you might have just built your house for $200,000 but it cost you another $50,000 to decorate it.

The phrase “to go overboard” is an idiom that means to overindulge in something. For example, someone who eats a pound of chocolate might say, “I went overboard with the chocolate.” The person isn’t literally going overboard by being pulled into the ocean by a wave. Rather, they are doing an activity until their limits are met. This phrase dates back to medieval English when people would literally push one another off boats in order to get more for themselves.

The idiom GO OVERBOARD means going too far or being excessive. It can also mean to cause a ship to sink or capsize by overloading it with cargo. The term comes from the act of throwing barrels overboard, which was done to lighten the load on a ship that is in danger of sinking.

GO OVER LIKE A LEAD BALLOON

A phrase can have a multitude of meanings, but in this case it means that the thing is going poorly. The lead balloon is a metaphor for something that is not very good and has no chance of succeeding.

The phrase “go over like a lead balloon” refers to an idea or proposal that is not liked by the people who hear it.

The idiom “go over like a lead balloon” is an American English phrase that means to fail to result in the desired response. An example of this can be seen when an individual is attempting to sell products at a company convention and underwhelms their audience.

The phrase “go over like a lead balloon” refers to something that may not be received well by the people in attendance. For example, an idea that was said at a meeting and nobody liked it would not go over like a lead balloon. This is because the idea would be rejected and not supported by others in attendance.

The phrase ‘go over like a lead balloon’ is often used to describe something that fails rather quickly or doesn’t seem to catch on at all. This can be said for any endeavor, but it is most often used in the context of an idea. The idiom has its roots in the 19th century where lead balloons were used as an early form of air travel. They would often explode and cause harm or death to those involved.

GO TO PIECES

GO TO PIECES: an idiom sometimes used to refer to someone who is overcome by grief

The phrase “to go to pieces” suggests that someone is breaking down mentally at the point of despair. It is often said when describing a person who has lost control of their emotions, or if they are struggling with some intense emotion that they are unable to overcome. For example, consider the following quote from the book Going to Pieces by Anne Sherry: “I go to pieces about everything. I’m all over the place.

The idiom “go to pieces” means to become incoherent or fall apart, usually in the context of grief or severe stress. It is often used when someone can’t get back up after something terrible has happened.

GO TO PIECES idiom originally meant to be utterly destroyed or broken down, but in modern usage it generally refers to emotional breakdown.

This idiom is used to describe someone who has become emotional and is no longer in control of their emotions. It can be used to describe any type of emotional outburst, but it typically describes a person who has cried for too long or has become angry, the two most common types of emotions that are seen as “breaking someone down.” This can happen because the person was constantly stressed out for an extended period of time, which led to them using up all their energy and becoming emotionally drained.

A popular idiom in the English language with which you are undoubtedly familiar is “to go to pieces.” This means that someone has become exceptionally emotional, usually due to severe stress or shock. The phrase derives from one’s body breaking into small pieces when they are dismembered or destroyed.