Definition
Something exciting, risky, or troublesome begins.
Origins
Probably from the releasing of a balloon as a signal for an event to begin, possibly popularized by the use of balloons by the British Army during World War I (1914–1918) as a signal for artillery fire to commence.
In Context
- "— When is your job interview? — The balloon goes up at 10 tomorrow."
- "For quotations using this term, see Citations:balloon goes up."
See Also
- when the balloon goes up
- trial balloon