the jig is up
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Your trickery is discovered. "Jig" was old slang for a joke or trick.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the jig is up” mean?
Your trickery is discovered. "Jig" was old slang for a joke or trick.
Is “the jig is up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.