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

  • (file)

Verb

go for broke

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

Translations

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See also

References

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