Up in Smoke

What it means

Come to nothing, with all the effort put in leaving no trace behind it.

Where it comes from

The older English form was end in smoke, in use long before anything went up in it. Smoke is the ideal image for wasted work, being visible, warm and gone.

The puzzle it came from

Up in Smoke was the answer to the Phrasicle of May 8, 2025. The clue read ____ in ____, and the words came out of a grid where every neighbouring pair makes a two-word phrase.

Play today's Phrasicle Play the May 8, 2025 puzzle