go for broke
English
Etymology
From Hawaiian Pidgin craps slang, meaning “to wager everything on one roll”: one would be broke, i.e. bankrupt, if one lost.[1]
Popularized by the movie Go for Broke! (1951), which is named for the 442nd Infantry Regiment’s unit motto.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Verb
- To wager everything.
- (idiomatic) To try everything possible or do every last thing possible in a final attempt.
Translations
to wager everything
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to try everything possible in a final attempt
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See also
References
- ^ The movie Go for Broke!, which popularized this phrase, gives this etymology.