Go Belly Up

What it means

Fail completely, usually said of a business that has run out of money.

Where it comes from

A dead fish floats belly up because its swim bladder keeps holding gas after the muscles that kept it upright have stopped working. The image is unmistakable, which is why the phrase works.

The puzzle it came from

Go Belly Up was the answer to the Phrasicle of November 28, 2025. The clue read ____ ____ ____, and the words came out of a grid where every neighbouring pair makes a two-word phrase.

Play today's Phrasicle Play the November 28, 2025 puzzle