to go under
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To become ruined; to fail utterly, lose caste. Also to pass as, to be known as; as "He goes under the name of 'Mr. Taylor,5 but we all know he is really 'Herr Schneider.
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 “to go under” mean?
To become ruined; to fail utterly, lose caste. Also to pass as, to be known as; as "He goes under the name of 'Mr. Taylor,5 but we all know he is really 'Herr Schneider.
Is “to go under” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.