burton

IPA/ˈbɜːtn/
KK[bˈɚtən]IPA/ˈbɜːrtn/

burton — noun

1. a state in which something is broken, ruined, or no longer usable — the word its

1.nounC2
Definition

a state in which something is broken, ruined, or no longer usable — the word itself is never used alone and appears only in the fixed phrase 'gone for a burton'; in older British military slang, it could also refer to a person who had been killed or was missing.

Example

Michael tried to fix his grandmother's old radio, but it had gone for a burton.

idiom for something irreparably broken

After the flood, Camila's entire collection of rare books had gone for a burton.

Common collocations
  • go for a burton
  • gone for a burton
Synonyms
  • done for

    the closest informal synonym; 'done for' is broader and more common

  • kaput

    informal, from German; suggests something has stopped working permanently

  • wrecked

    more general and widely used than 'gone for a burton'

Antonyms
  • working

    in good condition; the opposite of broken or ruined

  • in one piece

    British informal phrase meaning intact and undamaged

Grammar Patterns

part of the idiom: go for a burton

Usage Note

The phrase 'gone for a burton' is dated and seldom heard today outside historical novels, war memoirs, or older British comedy shows. Younger British speakers will recognise it but rarely use it. The word 'burton' has no independent meaning — it never appears outside this fixed expression.

Common Mistakes

My phone is burton.
My phone has gone for a burton.
'burton' is never used alone; it must always be part of the full phrase 'gone for a burton'.
The computer went for a burton yesterday, so it is fixed now.
The computer has gone for a burton
it cannot be repaired.' — the idiom means something is destroyed beyond recovery, not temporarily broken.
Idioms

gone for a burton

idiom

(British informal, dated) to be broken, ruined, destroyed, or lost beyond repair; in historical military use, to be killed or missing in action.

During the war, several pilots from the squadron went for a burton over the English Channel.

Jin dropped his phone on the train tracks and watched it go for a burton under the wheels.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four alternatives describe something that has stopped working or been destroyed, but 'gone for a burton' is the most restricted in register and currency. 'Done for' is the closest informal synonym and is still widely used across British and American English ('After the crash, the car was done for'). 'Kaput' comes from German via American WWII slang and carries a slightly humorous tone ('The boiler is kaput again'). 'Wrecked' is the most general — it can describe cars, plans, or even a person's emotional state ('The storm wrecked the shed'). 'Broken beyond repair' is more formal and literal. None of these alternatives share the historical RAF-specific meaning of a pilot killed in action that the original idiom carried. A modern speaker might say: 'My laptop has gone for a burton' to sound playfully old-fashioned, or simply 'My laptop is done for' for neutral everyday use.

done forkaput ↗wrecked ↗broken beyond repair

Common collocations

Phrases

Etymology

EnglishBritish military slang

The phrase 'gone for a burton' first appeared in Royal Air Force slang during World War II. A pilot who failed to return from a mission was said to have 'gone for a burton'. The exact origin is uncertain, but two theories exist: (1) it referred to Burton ale — a popular brand of beer — so the pilot had 'gone for a drink' and never come back; (2) it came from the advertising slogan of the Montague Burton tailoring company, which promised a made-to-measure suit. By the 1950s the phrase had spread beyond military use to mean anything broken, ruined, or lost.