lead zeppelin

dated An utter failure; something that causes great displeasure. (A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship that used lighter-than-air gas to remain airborne.) Used especially in the phrase "go down/over like a lead zeppelin. A: "How do you think everyone will react to the lack of bonuses this year?" B: "I imagine the news will go over like a lead zeppelin!" I thought I'd finally had a breakthrough with my latest invention, but it turned out to be a lead zeppelin, like all the others.