Definition of "on the blink" [on the blink]

• Functioning erratically, malfunctioning; not working or not working well. Usually refers to a mechanical or electrical device. (adjective)

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• "Only twelve minutes late by Aunt Imelda's gold watch, you may say, and to all outward appearances salon fresh, which in bomb-scared London with half the tube stations on the blink might be regarded as an achievement, but to Salvo the hyper-conscientious husband it could as well have been twelve hours."