The game is afoot

What's the meaning of the phrase 'The game is afoot'?

The phrase ‘the game is afoot’ means ‘the process is underway’; for example, ‘The teams are on the pitch – the whistle blows – the game is afoot.’

What's the origin of the phrase 'The game is afoot'?

The first use of ‘the game is afoot’ is found in Shakespeare’s King Henry IV Part I, 1597:

“Before the game is afoot, thou still let’st slip.”

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Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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