turn turtle

1. Capsize, turn upside down, as in When they collided, the car turned turtle. This expression alludes to the helplessness of a turtle turned on its back, where its shell can no longer protect it. [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

“You look like a turned turtle!” she hooted.

From Literature

“Everything turned turtle within a few hours,” he said.

From New York Times

There are baths too deep to get out of, so you have to turn turtle and push yourself up and out.

From BBC

The Recreation turned turtle, casting some passengers into the water.

From Washington Post

Before the world economy turned turtle in 2008, the European Union presented an attractive face to the world.

From Economist