the balloon goes up
The situation becomes serious, critical, chaotic, or troublesome. Often used in the past tense ("the balloon went up"). If we don't get that shipment by Friday, the balloon goes up, and we lose the account. He tweeted it, and the balloon went up.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
balloon goes up, the
The undertaking begins, as in He's going to announce his candidacy for mayor-the balloon goes up on Monday. This expression comes from World War I, when British artillery sent up a balloon to notify gunners to open fire, this visual signal being more reliable than courier or telephone. It was soon transferred to signal other kinds of beginning. [1915]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.