Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also jigg) a trick, a swindle; thus as v., to trick; jigger n., a swindler; thus the jig is up/over, the game is up (cf. gig n.¹ (1)).

1611		J. Cook Greenes Tu Quoque Scene xvi: Why but what Jigge is this?
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew IV i: Such Tricks and Jiggs you would admire.
a.1661		‘Fortunate Rising’ Rump Poems and Songs (1662) ii 23: The Communication Line was a Jigg.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Jig a Trick, also a well known Dance. A Pleasant Jig, a witty, arch Trick.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1761		Nancy Dawson’s Jests 27: Thus all mankind are jiggers grown, / To work each other’s fall; / But let us strive to mend our lives, / For death will jig us all.
1777		Maryland Journal 17 June n.p.: Mr. John Miller came in and said, ‘The jig is over with us.’.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1800		Aurora (Phila.) 17 Dec. n.p.: As the Baltimore paper says, ‘The jigg’s up, Paddy.’.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1833		S. Smith Major Downing (1834) 103: Well then, said cousin Jehu, the jig is up with me.
1844		G.W. Kendall Narrative of Texan Santa Fe Expedition I 62: The time was when I could cut pigeon wings, and perform the double shuffle with precision and activity; but those days are over now — the jig is up.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1869		‘Mark Twain’ New Pilgrim’s Progress Ch. ix: Our homes are desolate, our friends are dead. Behold, the jig is up; let us die.
1879		New Ulm Rev. (MN) 19 Nov. 1/5: ‘This jig’s played, then’.
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 14 Dec. 2/4: The jig was up at last, however.
1887		G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler 186: We began to think the jig was up for us that trip.
1890		Sporting Times 19 Apr. 1/3: The Wretched Quadruped, perceiving that the Jig was Up, Abashed and Dumbfounded, went on with his Journey.
1903		A. Adams Log of a Cowboy 225: There’s no use crowding them, for that only excites them, and if you start them milling, the jig’s up.
1915		Goodwin’s Wkly (Salt Lake City, UT) 18 Dec. 19/1: I gues the jig is up. Darn him!
1918		‘Commander’ Clear the Decks! 169: The jig’s up. Everything’s gone to pot.
1928		J. Callahan Man’s Grim Justice 109: If the guard saw us get out of bed, the jig was up.
1931		W.N. Burns One-Way Ride 59: Foley knew the jig was up, but he put on a bold face.
1940		J. Archibald ‘Short Order Crook’ in Ten Detective Aces Apr. 🌐 Joe Murk [...] tumbled that the jib was up about the unissued Tyrian Plum tuppence.
1946		I. Bolton Do I Wake or Sleep in N.Y. Mosaic (1999) 16: Knowing as he did the jig was nearly up.
1951		Kerouac On the Road (The Orig. Scroll) (2007) 360: Everything was up, the jig and all.
1955		‘Blackie’ Audett Rap Sheet 34: I knowed the jig was up so I spoke real loud.
1965		L. Bruce How to Talk Dirty 10: I told him the jig was up.
1978		F. Norman Dead Butler Caper 88: The jig was well and truly up.
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 181: Maybe the jig was up, and I was going to get popped for discharging a firearm within the city limits.
1997		C. Hiaasen Lucky You 137: In one hand the manager was holding the stolen Visa. In his other hand was the telephone. Chub whispered across the table, ‘Jig’s up.’.
2004		W.J. Wood Jr Mothertime 256: The bookends looked at each other. The jig was up. Unforseen circumstances. FUBARed.

2. (US Und.) a problem; a mistake.

1914

Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 49: jig [...] An affair; a misfortune; a mistake.