Meaning
Lost, ruined, broken or, in its original wartime use, killed. The death sense carries wartime associations; modern use more often concerns objects or plans. Regional use: British English, originally RAF slang.
Origin
The expression emerged as Royal Air Force slang during the Second World War and is in print from 1941. It first served as a euphemism for a missing or dead airman, then broadened to damaged objects and failed plans. A link with Burton ale is plausible, but stories about particular advertisements or Montague Burton shops remain unverified.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- Go for a Burton
- Went for a Burton
Usage Examples
- The camera went for a Burton when it slipped from the harbour wall.
- One power cut and the entire afternoon's work had gone for a Burton.