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general::
Phrase(s): The die is cast.
Prov. A process is past the point of no return. (The die is one of a pair of dice. The cast means thrown. This phrase [in Latin] was said by Julius Caesar when he crossed the Rubicon with his legions, starting a civil war.) • After that speech favoring reform of the education system, the die is cast. This is now a campaign issue. • The die is cast. There is no turning back on this point.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs