go down the wrong way—said of food stuck in one’s throat causing one to choke and cough:
- The child coughed and coughed because a piece of bread had gone down the wrong way.
go the wrong way—
1. take the wrong path or road:
- He mentioned this to the driver, who realized that yes, in fact, we were going the wrong way.
2. = go down the wrong way:
- The verb “to quackle” is used in Suffolk in reference to suffocation, when caused by “drink going the wrong way.”
3. be erroneous in conduct or actions:
- When those rules are broken, there must be a just punishment to hinder them from going the wrong way.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase go wrong—
1. be mistaken in one’s choice or judgment:
- The currency is the New Zealand dollar so you can’t go wrong if you are after a low cost exotic vacation.
2. take to immorality:
- What’s the best way to help young girls who go wrong?
3. turn out badly or unfavorably:
- What if something goes wrong? What if I missed an exam or something affected my performance?