Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom.
Go to the dogs
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The most appropriate meaning of the idiom "go to the dogs" is to fail miserably or deteriorate shockingly.
The other options are incorrect.
- "Want something badly" is not the same as go to the dogs. Wanting something badly does not mean that something is failing or deteriorating.
- "Go crazy" is not the same as go to the dogs. Going crazy does not mean that something is failing or deteriorating.
The idiom "go to the dogs" comes from the idea of dogs being scavengers that eat food that has been discarded. In the same way, something that goes to the dogs is something that fails or deteriorates to the point where it is worthless. For example, you might say that a company that goes bankrupt has gone to the dogs.