If something has gone ‘down the pan’ it is wasted and unrecoverable.
Down the pan
What's the meaning of the phrase 'Down the pan'?
What's the origin of the phrase 'Down the pan'?
The pan is the lavatory pan. This phrase is of UK origin and is fairly recent. The first record of it in print is in the 1961 edition of Eric Partridge’s A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English:
“Down the pan… A Cockney equivalent of down the drain, ruined with no chances left.”
The US has an equivalent expression – ‘down the tubes‘.
The history of “Down the pan” in printed materials
Trend of down the pan in printed material over time
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