firing on all cylinders
Meaning: Working at full power and efficiency.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “After a slow start, the team is firing on all cylinders.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: From car engines, which run best when every cylinder fires. The figurative use dates from the early 20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: ir que chuta — literally: to go that it shoots
- French: Être au taquet — literally: To be at the cleat
More idioms — Daily Life
- by the bucketload — In large quantities.
- trouble in paradise — Problems in a relationship or situation that seemed perfect.
- no ifs, ands, or buts — Without any excuses or exceptions.
- fall on hard times — To become poor or suffer misfortune.
- a nasty piece of work — An unpleasant, cruel or dishonest person.
- good riddance — Said when one is glad to be rid of someone or something.
More English idioms
- strong as an ox — Very strong.
- holy cow! — An exclamation of surprise.
- go through the wringer — To go through a very hard experience.
- go off on a tangent — To wander away from the subject being discussed.
- strike out — To fail completely, especially in an attempt to attract someone.
- clear as day — Completely obvious.
From our tongue twisters
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? — A 'w/ch/ck' drill that accelerates comically — and nobody really knows the answer.
- The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. — Believed by Guinness to be among the hardest in English — 'six/sick/sheikh/sheep' blur in…
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. — A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.