go for broke

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Verb 1.3 See also 1.4 References

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Hawaiian Pidgin craps slang, meaning “to wager everything on one roll”: one would be broke, bankrupt if one loses.^[1]

Popularized by the movie Go for Broke! (1951), which is named for the 442nd Infantry Regiment’s unit motto.

[edit] Verb

go for broke

1. To wager everything.
2. (idiomatic) To try everything possible or do last thing possible in a final attempt.

[edit] See also

• go for it
• here goes nothing

[edit] References

• Notes:

1. ^ The movie Go for Broke!, which popularized this phrase, gives this etymology.