get the lead out

English

Etymology

A shortened form of get the lead out of one's shoes (or one's pants). Here, lead refers to a very heavy metal, thus the expression means roughly to get rid of whatever is slowing one down and hurry up.

Verb

get the lead out (third-person singular simple present gets the lead out, present participle getting the lead out, simple past got the lead out, past participle (UK) got the lead out or (US) gotten the lead out)

  1. (idiomatic, dated) To go faster; to hurry up.
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