1. To fall off your horse. * /John's horse stumbled, and John came a cropper./ 2. To fail. * /Mr. Brown did not have enough money to put into his business and it soon came a cropper./ Compare: RIDING FOR A FALL.
COME A CROPPER
Meaning of COME A CROPPER in English
Slang English vocab. Английский сленговый словарь. 2012