stick a fork in something

phrase

Used to indicate that something or someone is finished, or, in a broader sense, defeated or ruined.

“I'd play the last level with you, but I'm out of lives. Stick a fork in me!”

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Meanings

phrase
  1. idiomaticinformalUsed to indicate that something or someone is finished, or, in a broader sense, defeated or ruined.

    I'd play the last level with you, but I'm out of lives. Stick a fork in me!

Origin

From the practice of sticking a fork in meat in order to determine whether it is done (cooked).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

stick a fork in something. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stick%20a%20fork%20in%20something

MLA

“stick a fork in something.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stick%20a%20fork%20in%20something. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stick a fork in something,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stick%20a%20fork%20in%20something.

Source: stick a fork in something on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.