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English
Etymology
Unknown; circa 1940s; thought to be a reference to Dear John letters. Ernest Tubb recorded a song titled "That's All She Wrote" (sheet music published in 1942), but earlier printed references exist (e.g. The Brownsville Herald, June 1935).
Pronunciation
Phrase
that's all she wrote
- (idiomatic, originally US) Indicating an abrupt termination of a project, or of one’s hopes or plans.
1951, Jackie Brenston, “My Real Gone Rocket”:If you see a long yellow streak of all fine smoke / That’s my rocket pulling out, that’s all she wrote / […]
1951, Hank Williams, “Dear John”:There was a note upon my door... I won’t be back no more / That’s all she wrote, "Dear John".
1963, Johnny Cash, “Jackson”:[…] Goodbye — that’s all she wrote.
1980, Bruce Springsteen, “The River”:Then I got Mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote / And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
1987, Deep Purple, “Black And White”:Inside information taken down note by note / A silent footstep that's all she wrote
1990, Firehouse, “All She Wrote”:Bye bye, baby, bye-bye, she said in a letter / And that was all she wrote
2004, Gaither Vocal Band, “I Catch 'Em, God Cleans 'Em”:He said a prayer, and that was all she wrote
2004, Michael Graves, A+ Guide to PC Hardware Maintenance & Repair, page 525:I get five short beeps when the machine starts to boot, and then that's all she wrote […]