go over like a lead balloon en · VERB
Etymology
Presumably from go over (“to be received”), used as if literally (“to travel above”): a lead balloon would not travel well through the air.
Meanings
- (qualifier:simile) To fail to gain acceptance: to be received poorly.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gone over like a lead balloon | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| went over like a lead balloon | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| go down like a lead balloon | alternative | lexicographic | |
| going over like a lead balloon | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| goes over like a lead balloon | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Relateds
like a fart in church · sink like a stone · fly with leaden wings