unglued
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become unglued
informal
1. To become extremely upset or emotional. Poor Jane really became unglued during the funeral service. Hey, there's no need to come unglued—we’ll figure out a solution. Don't worry! A: "What's all that commotion in the background?" B: "Oh, just my toddler becoming unglued about one thing or another."
2. To begin to fail or become untenable; to fall apart. Boy, this party is really becoming unglued. First, there was the issue with the caterer, and now half the guests aren't coming. Their marriage eventually became unglued after he discovered that his wife was having an affair. I thought I would be able to get a lot of people to sign my petition, but things are really becoming unglued now. I'll be lucky if I can scrounge up 10 signatures!
come apart at the seams
1. To be approaching failure. Boy, this party is really coming apart at the seams. First, there was the issue with the caterer, and now half the guests aren't coming. Their marriage eventually came apart at the seams after he discovered that his wife was having an affair. I thought I would be able to get a lot of people to sign my petition, but things are really coming apart at the seams now. I'll be lucky if I can scrounge up 10 signatures!
2. To become very emotional. Poor Jane really came apart at the seams during the funeral service. I can't watch those sappy movies because I just come apart at the seams every time. A: "What's all that commotion in the background?" B: "Oh, just my toddler coming apart at the seams about one thing or another."
come unglued
Primarily heard in US.
1. To become extremely upset or emotional. Poor Jane really came unglued during the funeral service. Hey, there's no need to come unglued—we’ll figure out a solution. Don't worry! A: "What's all that commotion in the background?" B: "Oh, just my toddler coming unglued about one thing or another."
2. To encounter setbacks or fail altogether. Boy, this party is really coming unglued. First, there was the issue with the caterer, and now half the guests aren't coming. Their marriage eventually came unglued after he discovered that his wife was having an affair. I thought I would be able to get a lot of people to sign my petition, but things are really coming unglued now. I'll be lucky if I can scrounge up 10 signatures!
come unstuck
To encounter setbacks or fail altogether. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Boy, this party is really coming unstuck. First, there was the issue with the caterer, and now half the guests aren't coming. Their marriage eventually came unstuck after he discovered that his wife was having an affair. I thought I would be able to get a lot of people to sign my petition, but things are really coming unstuck now. I'll be lucky if I can scrounge up 10 signatures!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
come unglued
Fig. to lose emotional control; to break out into tears or laughter. When Sally heard the joke, she almost came unglued. When the bank took away my car, I came unglued and cried and cried.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
come apart at the seams
Also, come unglued or unstuck . Become extremely upset; break down. For example, After he lost his job Brad seemed to come apart at the seams or The proposed bank merger is coming unglued, or When her last play flopped she became completely unstuck. This idiom transfers physical to emotional disintegration. [Slang; mid-1900s]
come unglued
Also, come unstuck. See come apart at the seams.
unglued
see under come apart at the seams.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
come apart at the seams
1. If a system or relationship comes apart at the seams it completely fails. Note: The seams of a piece of clothing are the places where the separate pieces of cloth used to make it are stitched together. Our relationship was coming apart at the seams — we were quarrelling the whole time. Note: You can also say that something falls apart at the seams. Britain's university system is in danger of falling apart at the seams because of cuts in government funding.
2. If someone is coming apart at the seams, they have stopped being able to manage their life because they are very unhappy or under so much stress. Note: The seams of a piece of clothing are the places where the separate pieces of cloth used to make it are stitched together. He stood for a moment, breathing deeply; he was coming apart at the seams, something he had never thought would happen to him.
come unglued
AMERICAN, INFORMAL1. If someone comes unglued, they cannot control their emotions and they behave in a strange or crazy way. She had apparently come unglued since losing her job as a writer for Western Gentry magazine. He had come unglued over a girl who was pregnant with his child. She wouldn't marry him, and he had gone to her house with a sawn-off shotgun and threatened to shoot her.
2. If someone or something comes unglued, they fail. Their marriage finally came unglued. Everything seemed to be coming unglued. Note: The usual British expression is come unstuck.
come unstuck
BRITISH, INFORMALCOMMON If someone or something comes unstuck, they fail. Australia's Greg Norman came badly unstuck in the third round of the Memorial golf tournament yesterday. Past promises about multimedia have come unstuck thanks to inadequate technology. Note: The usual American expression is come unglued.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
come (or fall) apart at the seams
1 (of a thing) fall to pieces. 2 (of a person); have an emotional breakdown; collapse. informalSeams are the lines along which pieces of fabric or the planks of a boat are joined, perceived as the points most likely to be damaged or weakened.
come unstuck
fail completely. informal 2001 Irish Examiner A Leinster victory would put the quarter-finals within touching distance, especially if French champions Toulouse come unstuck at Newcastle.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
come unˈglued
(American English, informal)1 become very upset: I don’t know why, but whenever I take my child to the doctor’s she comes unglued.
2 if a plan, etc. comes unglued, it does not work successfully: Personally, I’m not sorry the building plans have come unglued. It means they’ll leave the public park alone.
come unˈstuck
(British English, informal) be unsuccessful; fail: His plan to escape came badly unstuck. ♢ She came unstuck in the last part of the exam.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
come unglued
Informal To lose one's composure.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.