put the tin lid on something

put the tin lid on (something)

To end a bad experience or situation in an especially negative way. Primarily heard in UK. The downgrading of the company's credit rating puts the tin lid on a disastrous year for their financial situation. I left my phone in the grocery store, my car broke down on the way home, and, to put the tin lid on it, my groceries broke through the bag as I was walking to the front door.

See also: lid, on, put, tin

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

put the tin lid on something

BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED

You say that something puts the tin lid on a bad situation when it is a final unpleasant event in a series. Next day, to put the tin lid on things, a hospital appointment letter for Jane arrived from the clinic.

See also: lid, on, put, something, tin

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012