2006-08-07 17:14:40 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The idiom “balls to the wall” simply means; to work to your limit or to go as fast as you can. Another example would be in the final race in this years Winter Olympics 1500 meter speed skating event, An Hyun Soo skated balls to the wall to win the gold medal.
The expression comes from the throttle in a fighter plane. Similar to the stick shift in a manual transmission car (although it only has one) an airplane’s throttle has two “balls” on top for grip.
So when a pilot wants to go full speed he will simply, push the throttle forward until the balls are touching the wall of the cockpit…
It should be noted though, that some ignorant people may find this expression offensive as they think the word “balls” is actually being used for it’s slang meaning, testicles.
So next time you need to get something done fast, work “balls to the wall”!
Alternatively,
Early railroad locomotives were powered by steam engines. Those engines typically had a mechanical governor. These governors consisted of two weighted steel balls mounted at the ends of two arms, jointed and attached to the end of a vertical shaft that was connected to the interior of the engine. The entire assembly is encased in a housing.
The shafts and the weighted balls rotate at a rate driven by the engine speed. As engine speed increases, the assembly rotates at a faster speed and centrifugal force causes the weighted balls to hinge upward on the arms.
At maximum engine speed – controlled by these governors – centrifugal force causes the two weighted balls to rotate with their connecting shafts parallel to the ground and thereby nearly touching the sides – the walls – of their metal housing.
So, an engineer driving his steam locomotive at full throttle was going “balls to the wall”. The expression came to be used commonly to describe something going full speed.
2006-08-07 17:19:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Originating from the 1950's, the term refers to the ball shaped tops of the levers used to control the walls of a cockpit (no pun intended).
2006-08-07 17:20:55 · answer #2 · answered by Bob 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What I've heard about it supports the aircraft throttle explanation. BTW, for the record, AC/DC did not record "Balls to the Wall", that was a German band named Accept. Yes, they did sound very much like AC/DC.
2006-08-07 17:26:35 · answer #3 · answered by kjdean68 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The first place I heard the expression was in the AC/DC song when I was much younger than I am now!
2006-08-07 17:18:30 · answer #4 · answered by Kelly Y 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
term from avation. throttle lever on airplanes had ball knobs on top of them. full throttle was pushing the levers all the way to the wall.
2006-08-07 17:21:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You mean AC/DC didn't originate it ?
2006-08-07 17:18:36 · answer #6 · answered by dryheatdave 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋