Used to say that someone's dishonest plan or secret activity has been discovered and can no longer continue.
"When the auditor asked for the missing receipts, we knew the jig was up."
The jig is up.
— The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Used in the fixed expression 'the jig is up,' meaning a trick, deception, or secret has been discovered and ended.
the trick is finished and people know the truth now
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Used to say that someone's dishonest plan or secret activity has been discovered and can no longer continue.
"When the auditor asked for the missing receipts, we knew the jig was up."
The jig is up.
— The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The dance or game has ended.
the trick is finished and people know the truth now
Almost always appears as the fixed idiom 'the jig is up.' Learners should treat it as a set phrase rather than a productive phrasal verb.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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