Meaning of "went like a lead balloon"

[Elga]

English Idioms and Expressions, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #24 "Idioms with phrasal verbs", question 9

That sort of joke never makes people laugh and on this occasion it went down like a lead balloon.

(a) very quickly
(b) very soundly
(c) very noisily
(d) very badly

English Idioms and Expressions, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #24 "Idioms with phrasal verbs", answer 9

That sort of joke never makes people laugh and on this occasion it went down very badly.

Correct answer: (d) very badly

Your answer was: incorrect
That sort of joke never makes people laugh and on this occasion it went down very quickly.
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meaning of 'went like a lead balloon'

Elga

[Alan]

Hi,

A balloon made of lead would not go up in the air and if you make a joke and nobody laughs, this means it wasn't successful and failed rather like a lead balloon dropping. Lead of course is a heavy metallic substance used in roofs.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Here comes 2004...