What is the origin of the phrase pulling out all the stops?
What is the origin of the phrase pulling out all the stops?
Use all the resources or force at one’s disposal, as in The police pulled out all the stops to find the thief. This term comes from organ-playing, where it means “bring into play every rank of pipes,” thereby creating the fullest possible sound. It has been used figuratively since about 1860.
Who said pull out all the stops?
writer Matthew Arnold
The phrase was first used in its modern form in 1865 when the writer Matthew Arnold said “knowing how unpopular a task one is undertaking when one tries to pull out a few more stops in that …
When you exercise pull out all the stops so that you can put the pedal to the metal?
A term from auto racing coined in the 1970s, it refers to the fact that in racing cars the floor under the gas pedal is naked metal. When the driver pressed the pedal down to the metal, he or she was giving the engine the most gas possible. It may become a cliché.
What instrument uses the term pull out all the stops?
Organ Music: Pulling Out All the Stops : NPR. Organ Music: Pulling Out All the Stops The organ has been described, along with the clock, as the most complex of all mechanical instruments developed before the Industrial Revolution. Miles Hoffman unravels the complexities and the mysteries of the musical giant.
Did I pull out all the stops?
To pull out all the stops means to make every possible effort or use all available resources to achieve an end. The “stops” in this instance originally refer to the stop knobs on a pipe organ, which are used to regulate the instrument’s sound by selecting which sets of pipes are active at a given time.
What does pull no punches mean?
Behave unrestrainedly, hold nothing back, as in The doctor pulled no punches but told us the whole truth. This expression comes from boxing, where to pull one’s punches means “to hit less hard than one can.”
What is going through a purple patch?
phrase. If someone, especially a sports player or team, goes through a purple patch, they are very successful or lucky for a period. [journalism]
What does pull out the big guns mean?
The biggest or most powerful tool or asset for a given task. Usually plural. This axe is getting nowhere on this stump—it’s time to bring out the big guns and use the dynamite. My phone calls have not been answered, so it’s time to bring out the big guns and send them a subpoena.
Why do organs have so many keyboards?
With multiple manuals (the organ term for keyboards), the organist can both create layers of sounds for richer textures, as well as switch between different sounds rapidly. Multiple manuals add to the cost and weight. For smaller organs or even portable organs, multiple manuals are often too much of a liability.
Did not hold any punches?
To speak very bluntly and directly, without regard to whether one’s words may upset someone.
What does pulling a fast one mean?
Engage in a deceitful practice or play an unfair trick. For example, He pulled a fast one when he gave me that fake employment record, or She tried to put over a fast one, but we found out in time to stop her. [
What does “pull out all the stops” actually mean?
In modern usage, “pulling out all the stops” means to give something all your effort, to commit entirely to a task or situation. This is why it’s a popular term for sports, when a player makes a major play, or when the star of the movie makes a daring rescue.
What is the origin of pull out all the stops?
Pull out all the stops is an idiom that has been in general use since 1909, though its origin may be found in the 1860s. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition.
What does pulling all the stops mean?
To pull out all the stops means to proceed without reservation, to do everything possible to succeed, to spare no expense, to do something on an epic scale, to go all out, to exert every effort, to hold nothing back. The idiom pull out all the stops is derived from the musical instrument, the pipe organ.
What is the origin of the phrase pulling out all the stops? Use all the resources or force at one’s disposal, as in The police pulled out all the stops to find the thief. This term comes from organ-playing, where it means “bring into play every rank of pipes,” thereby creating the fullest possible sound.…