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go to the bow-wows. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
go to the bow-wows, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
go to the bow-wows in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Verb
go to the bow-wows (third-person singular simple present goes to the bow-wows, present participle going to the bow-wows, simple past went to the bow-wows, past participle gone to the bow-wows)
- (dated, idiomatic, informal) To go to the dogs, to decline or deteriorate.
- 1896, Arthur G. Burgoyne, “Timon of Athens” in Shakespeare Up to Date, and Other Latter-Day Lyrics, Pittsburg: T. W. Nevin, p. 16,
- With lavish hand his cash he spent,
- And with lightning speed to the bow-wows went
- And into the gutter fell.
- 1912, James Oneal, Militant Socialism, Saint Louis: The National RipSaw Publishing Co., p. 28,
- The robber barons of the Middle Ages were perfectly sure that civilization would go to the bow-wows if they were interfered with.
1928, Dorothy L. Sayers, “The Piscatorial Farce of the Stolen Stomach”, in A Treasury of Sayers Stories, London: Victor Gollancz, published 1961, page 288:His father died a couple of years ago—he was a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh—and I fancy Robert has rather gone to the bow-wows since then. Got among a cheerful crowd down there, don't you know, and wasted his substance somewhat.
Usage notes
Current from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Frequent variants are go to the damnation bow-wows and the euphemistic go to the demnition bow-wows.