put the pedal to the metal
Meaning: To accelerate a vehicle to maximum speed, or more figuratively, to exert maximum effort.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Originates from mid-twentieth-century American driving culture; the gas pedal sits directly above the metal floorboard or frame of a car.
More idioms — Daily Life
- long fuse — A personality trait of being slow to anger; patience before losing one's temper.
- bow out — To resign or withdraw from a situation while preserving one's dignity and reputation.
- long shot — Something unlikely to succeed or happen; a bet or venture with very poor odds.
- spin one's wheels — To work hard without making any real progress toward a goal.
- land in someone's lap — Something desirable comes to someone without effort or expectation on their part.
- out of spoons — Exhausted of energy or resources, usually mental or emotional.
More English idioms
- donkey's ears — A very long time; ages.
- soft underbelly — A point of vulnerability or weakness in something otherwise strong or well-defended.
- long pork — Human flesh, especially as food.
- see with half an eye — To perceive something obvious with very little effort or attention.
- mugged by reality — To experience a sudden, brutal confrontation with harsh truth after living in comfortable…
- plow the sands — To expend great effort on something completely futile or worthless.
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