A: How was your weekend?

B: I planned to be productive and study for my paper, but a sudden emergency blew that idea out of the water.

A: What’s up?

B: I suffered food poisoning after dining out Friday evening, and stayed the past two days in hospital.

Note: This idiom means “to totally defeat or ruin someone or something.” It alludes to a torpedo or other weapon striking a ship and causing a great explosion that makes pieces of the ship fly out of the water. Depending on the context, it can also mean “to thoroughly impress, overwhelm, or excite someone.” For example: That movie really blew me out of the water — I didn’t expect it to be so good!