2 ms·
I suppose this is also the less colorful true origin of "balls to the wall" than the phrase itself suggests?
by goodmythical 3mo ago
I suppose this is also the less colorful true origin of "balls to the wall" than the phrase itself suggests?
- dghlsakjg 3mo agoNope. Balls to the wall refers to the balls on the end of throttle levers in aircraft cockpit. Going balls to the wall means pushing the throttle and mixture all the way in to the firewall/instrument panel for maximum power.
- teachrdan 3mo agoNit: I believe this originated with locomotives, predating aircraft by quite a bit!
- dghlsakjg 3mo agoEvery source I can find says it was a mid century phrase first found written in the 1960s from pilots. Pre aircraft locomotives would have been steam driven. Largely operated by a complex series of valves, mostly rotating so no wall to push them to. They did have a governor balanced by rotating balls, which when at full RPM would be fully extended, or: balls out. https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-phrase-balls-to-the-wall-comes-from-warplanes-not-that-other-thing https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-phrase-balls-to-the-wall-c...