Where does the saying close to the wire come from?

Where does the saying close to the wire come from?

The phrase originated in horse racing, where a wire was hung above the finish line to help determine the winner. Races that were very close were described as coming down to the wire.

Is going down the wire?

(informal) if you say that a situation goes down to the wire, you mean that the result will not be decided or known until the very end: Most people are predicting a very close game, quite possibly going right down to the wire. In this idiom, the wire refers to the finishing line in races.

What is the meaning of the idiom drive up the wall?

: to make (someone) irritated, angry, or crazy Your constant tapping is driving me up the wall!

What does the idiom down the wire?

: full of suspense especially : unsettled until the very end.

What does the expression through the wire mean?

informal to leave; make off. break through. vb.

What does the idiom down the wire mean?

What does escape by the skin of your teeth mean?

Just barely, very narrowly, as in Doug passed the exam by the skin of his teeth. A related term appears in the Bible (Job 19:20), where Job says, “I am escaped with the skin of my teeth,” presumably meaning he got away with nothing at all. Today the phrase using by is used most often to describe a narrow escape.

What is the meaning of the idiom the final straw?

Definition of the final/last straw : the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc. It had been a difficult week, so when the car broke down, it was the last straw.

What is a sentence for down the wire?

The idiom “down to the wire” means waiting until the last minute to do something. Example of use: “I went partying yesterday and forgot that I’m supposed to submit my paper tomorrow. It’s gonna be down to the wire and I’ll have to pull an all-nighter to finish it on time”.

What does wire refer to?

The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The idea for the show started out as a police drama loosely based on the experiences of his writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher.

How do you use down to the wire?

Where does the phrase down to the wire come from?

The origin of the idiom “Down to the Wire” is in Horse-Racing. In the late 19th century, a small wire was strung across the track, above the finish line, to help the judges determine which horse crossed the finish line first. An early example appeared in the July issue of Scribner’s Magazine in 1889,…

Why was there a wire at the end of a horse race?

Because in horse races, a wire was often hung across the finish line in order to help determine the winner. This was especially useful in races that were very close towards the end. Thus, as the riders approached the finish line, they could be described as coming down to the wire , quite literally.

Why was the wire hung over the finish line?

In horse racing, a wire was hung up over the finish line to help determine a winner. This was especially handy in cases where the races were very close. So then, as the riders rapidly approached the finish line, they could be described as coming down to the wire, quite literally.

Where did the term ” to the last minute ” come from?

To the last minute; to the very end. For example, We’re just about down to the wire with this project. This term comes from horseracing, where it was long the practice to stretch a wire across and above the track at the finish line. It was extended to figurative use about 1900.