hell for leather
Meaning: As fast as possible.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The moment the bell rang, the kids ran hell for leather to the playground.”
Category: Animals
Origin: First found in the late 19th century, often in Rudyard Kipling's writing about riders in India. It probably refers to riding so hard the leather saddle suffers, though that is uncertain.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: À bride abattue — literally: With the bridle down
More idioms — Animals
- buy a pig in a poke — To buy something without examining it first.
- a Trojan horse — Something that seems harmless but hides a threat inside.
- the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on — Let critics complain; one carries on regardless.
- neither fish nor fowl — Something that fits into no clear category.
- give free rein — To give someone complete freedom to act.
- like a bat out of hell — Extremely fast.
More English idioms
- not a soul — Absolutely nobody.
- drain the cup to the dregs — To endure a hardship or humiliation to the very end.
- the icing on the cake — An extra good thing added to something already good.
- only have eyes for — To be interested in or attracted to one person only.
- lose sleep over — To worry a lot about something.
- like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic — Doing something pointless while a disaster happens.
From our untranslatable words
- Blunda — To close your eyes on purpose — and, by extension, to knowingly refuse to see something.
- Fredagsmys — The Friday-night ritual of soft clothes, snacks and television with the people you live w…
- Gökotta — Rising at first light for no reason but to go outside and hear the birds sing.