IdiomDaily Life

English

To pull out all the stops

Meaning: To make every possible effort.

Example: “For their anniversary, he pulled out all the stops: flowers, violinist and a rooftop dinner.”

Origin: Pulling out all of a pipe organ's stops unleashes its full volume; used figuratively since the 19th century.

Equivalents in other languages

Spanish: Tirar la casa por la ventana Literally: To throw the house through the window
Swedish: sätta till alla klutar Literally: To set all the sails
French: Faire flèche de tout bois Literally: To make an arrow of any wood

See all 4 languages side by side →

More English idioms

To have egg on your face To look foolish or embarrassed.
To bury your head in the sand To refuse to face an obvious danger.
To bite off more than you can chew To take on more than you can handle.
Caught between a rock and a hard place Stuck between two equally bad options.
To show your true colors To reveal your real character at last.
blow off steam To release pent-up anger, energy or stress harmlessly.

Explore another collection: False Friends

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

Realizar Actually means 'to carry out' or 'to achieve'. For realize (become aware), say darse cuen…
Sensible Actually means 'sensitive' or 'perceptible'. For sensible (levelheaded), say sensato.
Familiar Actually means 'family member' or 'relating to the family'. Un ambiente familiar = a fami…

Browse all false friends →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →