Actually my great great uncle George was the first to use the term on Sept 10 1919 when he and his brother were trying to outrun the cops “For gods sake! gun it Fred, or the cops are going to catch us” I also have a bridge for sale. Time to go Dan
Back in Colonial times stage coach routs ran from town to town and stopped at taverns along the way. Most taverns had large round disks or glass balls out front that they displayed so the coach driver could see them from a distance and stop and collect passengers. If there was no reason for him to stop the ball was attached to the building and the four horses flew buy "Balls to the wall".
“I jumped on it” and “I got on it” were most popular as I remember back in the day. Both of these in reference to our street racing escapades in our bs sessions while hanging out. Good memories.
I was 16 in 2000..... immediately after watching mad Max for the first time. Of course being sixteen in 2000 I also watched squidbillies..... meaning I also say "slap that pigs ass!" Lol
I doubt if the expression originated in any kind of actual meaning. I'd conjecture that it began as a pure interjection, relying on rhyme and slight profanity: just something a certain type of colourful character would cry out. The wall was just something to rhyme with balls. Its meaning subsequently crystallized around the circumstances under which it was cried out.
Yup. And I watched the original Australian accent dub.,....not the one with the "Americanized" dub they released here because they thought Americans wouldn't understand an Australian accent
According to Jay Leno (THE Godfather of Cool Cars!) Steam engine governors where a glass cylinder with a set of balls inside.... as the RPM would increase the balls would swing out and the attached mechanism would limit the RPM of the engine to naturally prevent the engine from exceeding its maximum speed and destroying itself. Soooo "balls-to-the-wall" was when the balls were slung out all-the-way and rolling on the glass cylinder ! (Testicles have nothing to do with the cool saying ! Too bad really) 6sally6
Or, could be like the time I launched my Chevelle sitting on a milk crate since seats weren’t in yet. Knocked me on my butt and good thing I could hold onto the steering wheel…
My dad wasn't a hot rodder and cars were just transportation for him, he didn't understand the enjoyment of eprnding all that time working on them and bringing a long dead car back to life, in his later years he did say he was impressed with what I had done. Back to the thread, if my dad was riding with me he would say." Shower down on it", which he meant stab the gas pedal, I have never heard anyone else use that particular phrase. HRP
Now there is a traditional right-of-passage for most young hotrodders. Seems like a good idea at the time when a loooong build is almost complete. Bonus points if you don't learn and do the milkcrate stunt two or three times over a lifetime. Don't ask me how I know. Cheers, Harv
My Father used to say "goose it" or "goose the throttle". No idea if he'd heard that elsewhere or made it up??? Good memories either way.
The Jalopy Journal
