Lead Balloon

[lankeela]

Why do we say 'that went down like a lead balloon' when something we say or do is not received very well. Because a lead balloon would go down well, being heavy. But it is used to signify something that didn't go down very well, if you see what I mean?

[Clanad]

Much of humor consists of juxtaposition... painting a word picture of something ridiculous by way of two or more opposing concepts. In this case a free floating balloon and a bar of lead. The speaker is making the point that whatever is being thusly described certainly not only didn't go over well, it had no chance of ever doing so in the first place (and any idiot should have known so). In commercial aviation, we deridingly describe an aircraft that we consider to be badly designed as "having all the flight characteristics of a man hole cover"...again, expressing the idea of juxtaposition...

[Quizmonster]

I think you've really answered your own question, Lankeela. To 'go down' - in this sense! - means to flop or fail and, as you say, a lead balloon is something which 'goes down' very effectively. In that way, the two - a dropping balloon and an ill-received suggestion - fit together pretty well.

[Quizmonster]

Ah! A virtual bit of synchrography there, C! A British helicopter pilots once told me - whilst I was sitting in the left-hand seat at 5000 feet - that "It has the glide characteristics of a bag of Portland cement." (That's Portland in Dorset, not Oregon, by the way.)

[halfadaily]

As an aside, before Jimmy Page and Robert Plant played their first gig together they didn't have a name for their new group. On meeting Keith Moon, He said "they would go down like a lead zeppelin", so they used that as a name, and the rest is history.

Nothing much to do with the question really, but a sunday evening ramble.

[Clanad]

Aha, Q! By only one minute according to the counter. I've posted when none have been showing and then several predate mine... must be a limitation to the system... Hope you're having a nice day! (What were you doing in the helicopter?)
By the way, thanks for the Portland description... we have the same saying here, but I always assumed it meant one of the Portland's here in the U.S. (Maine, Oregon, California, etc.)

[lankeela]

Thanks for your answers folks, but in particular, Quizmonster, I still don't see why, as when you are saying something, expecting it to be well received, and it isn't, why would you say 'that went down well' - surely smething that went up well would be more appropriate?

[Quizmonster]

Lankeela, it's a bit like 'slow up' and 'slow down', isn't it...apparent opposites which mean precisely the same thing!
I was in military service for many years, C, and hence that - and many other! - heli-rides. The pilot actually spoke these words immediately before turning the engine off in preparation for a practice emergency-landing. Comforting words, indeed! I had every confidence in his skills, however.

[lorilaidaw]

I heard some years ago that the term "go down like a lead balloon" originated from the Hindenburg tragedy, but I haven't been able to find reference to this anywhere... I was wondering if anyone else had heard this and if so, where might I find that information (if it exists) ? To further coroborate this, Led Zeppelin put a picture of the Hindeburg on the cover of their first album, is that just a coincidence?