etymology - Where does the phrase "balls to the wall" come from?


I know the phrase means "going all out" but I can't figure out what it literally means or where it originates from.



Answer



Wiktionary sez:


First attested in the 1960s in the context of aviation. Probably coined by pilots whose throttle levers had round, ball-like tops and for whom putting the "balls to the wall" (the firewall of the aircraft) meant making the aircraft fly as quickly as possible.


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