curtain

the curtain comes down on something

if the curtain comes down on something, especially a period of time, it ends. Last night, the curtain came down on 14 years of Tory rule.

See also: come, down

the final curtain

the end of something, usually something that has lasted for a long time. As the final curtain fell on the longest match in tennis history, Agassi emerged victorious.

See also: final

it's curtains (informal)

something that you say when you believe something will end or someone will have to stop doing something. If audience figures don't improve, it's curtains for DJ Mike Hamilton. (usually + for)

See also: it's

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the curtain falls (on something)

the end comes to something, esp. a job or activity. Brown managed to get a lot done before the curtain fell on his political career. This year rings down the curtain on more than 50 years of broadcasts.

Usage notes: also used in the phrase the final curtain falls: His admirers want to honor the singer before the final curtain falls on his career.

Etymology: from the large curtains above the stage in a theater that are brought down at the end of a performance

See also: fall