Non-ProZ.com Aug 31, 2005:

Thanks everyone! I must say I found it really hard to make a decision on this one. I chose "the game is up" as it retains the "game idea" as stated by Lindsay and, taking into consideration the comments made by Vittorio and others, is not as negative and implies that something will now be done and to a certain extent that everything "is in place" for this to happen. I like the "cards are on the table" idea but then decided that maybe this conveys more the idea that there are no more secrets and that everything is out in the open.

Anna Maria Augustine (X) Aug 31, 2005:

Thank you

Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X) Aug 25, 2005:

In this context the Italian way of saying does not keep the "negative" meaning of "something irreparably done" which it usually conveys. Here it just means that everything has already been sorted out and decided.