have had your chips

have had (one's) chips

To fail or be defeated; to die or be killed. A reference to chips (small plastic disks) used to make wagers when gambling. We tried to keep our business open through this recession, but we've had our chips at this point. My poor Uncle Rick fought long and hard against cancer, but he's had his chips.See also: chip, have

have had your chips

BRITISH, INFORMALIf someone or something has had their chips, they have completely failed in something they were trying to do. Note: In the following expressions `chips' are the coloured tokens or counters which are used to represent money in casinos. After the 4-1 defeat by Wimbledon, most of the 10,000 crowd were convinced they'd already had their chips. Note: This may refer to gamblers who have lost all their chips and so have to stop playing. See also: chip, have

have had your chips

be dead, dying, or out of contention. British informalSee also: chip, have

have had your ˈchips

(British English, informal) be in a situation in which you are certain to be defeated or killed: With the score at 3-0, it looked as if the Scottish team had had their chips.See also: chip, have