1879. Jas. Payn, High Spirits (Finding His Level). Poor John Weybridge, Esq., became as friendless as penniless, and eventually went under, and was heard of no more.
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 29 May, p. 5, c. 1. He asks us further to state that the strike is completely at an end, the society having gone under.
2. (colloquial).—To die: Cf. Ger.: untergehen. For synonyms, see Aloft.
18(?). Hawkeye, The Iowa Chief, p. 210. Poor Hawkeye felt, says one of his biographers, that his time had come, and [[165]]knowing that he must go under sooner or later, he determined to sell his life dearly.
1849. Ruxton, Life in the far West, p. 2. Them three’s all gone under.
1888. Daily Inter. Ocean, Mar. All solemnly vowed to see that the mine should be worked solely for the benefit of the girl whether Jim lived or had gone under.
To go up, verb. phr. (American).—To die; specifically to die by the rope.
1867. Hepworth Dixon, New America, i., 11. Unruly citizens are summarily hung on a cotton tree, and when any question is asked about them, the answer is briefly given, gone up—i.e., gone up the cotton tree, or suspended from one of its branches.
To go up for, verb. phr. (common).—To enter for (as an examination).
1889. Globe, 12 Oct., p. 1, c. 4. Always, it seems likely, there will be men going up for examinations; and every now and again, no doubt, there will be among them a wily ‘Heathen Pass-ee’ like him of whom Mr. Hilton speaks—who had cribs up his sleeve, and notes on his cuff.