Go Down in Flames

Widely believed to come from military aviation in the First and Second World Wars, when aircraft built from wood, canvas, and fabric would frequently catch fire and plummet after being hit in combat, an unmistakably dramatic form of failure. The phrase is documented in both American and British use during the 1940s, fitting the aviation theory neatly. It isn't fully confirmed, though, and some etymologists think it may simply describe any catastrophic fire-related destruction rather than warplanes specifically.