ring the curtain down (on something)(redirected from rang the curtain down on)
ring the curtain down (on something)
1. To bring a performance or act of a play to an end by lowering the theater curtain. The phrase refers to the practice of ringing a bell to signal the lowering of the curtain in the theater. The audience gave the performance a standing ovation as the theater rang the curtain down. The shocking twist at the end of the second act left the audience in stunned silence as the curtain was rung down.
2. To bring about or signal the end of something. The company announced that it will ring the curtain down after nearly 50 years of business. The government is ringing the curtain down on the controversial program next month.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
ring the curtain down(on something) and bring the curtain down (on something)
1. Fig. to lower a theater curtain, usually at the end of an act or a play. (More literal than .) After one hundred performances, it's time to ring the curtain down on our show for the last time. As we bring down the curtain on another successful performance, let's be thankful nothing serious went wrong.
2. Fig. to bring something to an end; to declare something to be at an end. It's time to ring the curtain down on our relationship. We have nothing in common anymore. We've tried our best to make this company a success, but it's time to ring down the curtain.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.