the jig is up
the jig is up phrase: used to express that a deception, trick, or dishonest scheme has been discovered, signaling the end of the ruse.
Phrase
the jig is up
- Used to express that a deception, trick, or dishonest scheme has been discovered, signaling the end of the ruse.
- We knew then the jig was up, and it was no grin matter for us.1753, The Skipper
- When I first told 'em how the jig was up with us, that the British were going to have the land, without any fighting about it, I never see fellows so mad before in my life, unless it was Major Eaton at Washington when he sot out to flog Mr. Ingham.1833, Seba Smith (as Jack Downing), The life and writings of Major Jack Downing, of Downingville, away down East in the State of Maine, Lilly; Wait; Colman & Holden, page 176
Forms of the jig is up
| alternative form | jig's up |
|---|---|
| alternative form | one's jig is up |
| alternative form | one's jig's up |
| alternative form | the jig's up |
Origin of the jig is up
Derives from the obsolete Elizabethan-era slang use of the word jig, originally meaning a lively dance, which evolved to denote a practical joke or trick.
Questions about the jig is up
- What does the jig is up mean?
- The jig is up means used to express that a deception, trick, or dishonest scheme has been discovered, signaling the end of the ruse.
- What part of speech is the jig is up?
- The jig is up is a phrase.
Words near the jig is up in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: the jig is up (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-the jig is up.ogg.
Cite this entry: “the jig is up.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/the_jig_is_up. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.