adv. phr. (general).—Utterly penniless; ruined. Also FLAT or STONE BROKE; used verbally, to DEAD-BREAK.
1866. Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 June. When he left the gambling-house, he was observed to turn toward a friend with the words, DEAD-BROKE! and then to disappear round the corner.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS. Wound up; settled; coopered; smashed up; under a cloud; cleaned out; cracked up; done up; on one’s back; floored; on one’s beam ends; gone to pot; broken-backed; all U. P.; in the wrong box; stumped; feathered; squeezed; dry; gutted; burnt one’s fingers; dished; in a bad way; gone up; gone by the board; made mince meat of; broziered; willowed; not to have a feather to fly with; burst; fleeced; stony; pebble-beached; in Queer Street; stripped; rooked; hard up; broke; hooped-up; strapped; gruelled.
FRENCH SYNONYMS. Enfoncé familiar: also = done brown); centré (popular); désossé (popular: properly = boned); eréné (popular); atigé (thieves’); panné (= in Queer Street); see also BEAT.
ITALIAN SYNONYM.—Ferrare (to be ruined; also = to spoil or corrupt).
