IdiomDaily LifeEnglish

back up the truck

Meaning: To make a large purchase by taking advantage of a favorable price.

Example: “When the stock dropped to half its value, the investors backed up the truck.”

Origin: The phrase draws on the image of literally backing up a truck to a loading dock to haul away goods in bulk.

More idioms — Daily Life

  • haul someone over the coals To scold or reprimand someone severely for wrongdoing.
  • welcome to my world You are now experiencing something unpleasant that the speaker knows well and has dealt w…
  • built different Uniquely talented or operating by a different standard than ordinary people.
  • on blast Being publicly shamed or criticized, especially on social media.
  • rock the boat To disrupt the status quo or challenge established conventions and rules.
  • above the salt Of high social rank, importance, or honor.

More English idioms

  • make a fist of To accomplish something with reasonable competence or success.
  • tilt at windmills To waste effort fighting against imaginary enemies or pursuing hopeless causes.
  • one is a poet and doesn't know it Someone has unintentionally created a rhyme or spoken in verse without realizing it.
  • hash slinger A cook or server in a cheap restaurant, often regarded as rude or inattentive.
  • turn up the heat To make a situation more intense, uncomfortable, or urgent.
  • train wreck A spectacular, inevitable disaster that is witnessed by many people.

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Lectura Actually means 'reading'. A lecture is una conferencia.
  • Compromiso Actually means 'commitment', 'obligation', or 'engagement'. For a negotiated compromise,…
  • Gracioso Actually means 'funny' or 'amusing'. For gracious (kind and polite), say amable.

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