Burn-rubber
burn rubber
Drive very fast, as in We’ll have to burn rubber to get there in time. In this bit of automotive jargon, the rubber refers to tires that heat up when they rotate suddenly at great speed. [ ; mid-1900s ]
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- Burnsides
full whiskers and a mustache worn with the chin clean-shaven. Historical Examples The Civil War Through the Camera Henry W. (Henry William) Elson The Civil War Through the Camera Henry W. (Henry William) Elson The Civil War Through the Camera Henry W. (Henry William) Elson The Civil War Through the Camera Henry W. (Henry William) […]
- Burn-someone-down
burn someone down To shoot someone To deflate; humiliate: He’s so cocky someone has to burn him down (1930s+)
- Burn-someone-up
burn someone up (also burn someone off) To anger someone: His egocentricity burns me up (1930s+) To put someone to death in the electric chair (1920s+) To cheat; swindle; victimize (1930s+ Circus) see: burn up , def. 1.
- Burn-the-mid-night-oil
to undergo rapid combustion or consume fuel in such a way as to give off heat, gases, and, usually, light; be on fire: The fire burned in the grate. (of a fireplace, furnace, etc.) to contain a fire. to feel heat or a physiologically similar sensation; feel pain from or as if from a fire: […]
- Burn-to-a-cinder
Also, burn to a crisp. Destroy by fire; overcook. For example, If I stay in the sun too long, I’ll be burnt to a cinder, or He’s an awful cook—dinner was burnt to a crisp. Although both expressions can be used literally, they also function as hyperbole, as in the examples.