Tits Up

Meaning: inoperative, broken

Origin: This is a 20th century phrase, probably of military origin. There's certainly no mention of it in print prior to WWII. It has been suggested that the term derives from the behaviour of aeroplanes' altitude indicators, which turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts. There's no real evidence to support this speculation and it seems more likely that the phrase is just a vulgar alternative to the earlier 'belly-up', which has the same meaning.

Usage: Our British friend Liz is particularly adept at inserting it into normal conversations like, "We tried to renovate our kitchen and the whole thing just went tits up" or "That party we went to? Tits up."

Or... I'm sure my first attempt at using this phrase will be totally tits up.