Question of the Day #656

'I cannot wait to put the hammer down in races with my French family’

From the 2nd paragraph of this article at Cycling News.

上記の文で、put the hammer downの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does " put the hammer down " mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

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解答

意味：
英辞郎等のオンライン英和辞典にこのイディオムがないので、下記The Free Dictionaryの定義は、

自動車のアクセルをベタ踏みする。自動車の最大速度まで加速する、または最大速度で走行すること。主にアメリカで使われている。

比喩として使用されることもあります。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To press down the accelerator (of an automobile) as far as possible; to accelerate to or travel at an automobile's maximum speed. Primarily heard in US.

語源

Idiom Originsによると、

1960年代初頭のアメリカのトラック運転手の間で使われていたスラング。トラック運転手の間では、hammerは自動車の加速器の愛称。

Etymology

According to Idiom Origins,

It is first attested from truck driver slang in America in the early 1960s, where the 'hammer' is slang for the accelerator.

Examples

• Ken Miles put the hammer down, set blistering lap times, and retook the lead for Ford
• For a moment they were four abreast, but again Chen put the hammer down, eventually dropping Wang.
• However, they do have a surprise in store with final track "Limb From Limb": a slow, bluesy number in which Motörhead pause halfway through before putting the hammer down and breaking into an insanely fast dash to the album's finish.
• It was huge, both the Colorado and UCLA game I think I could have done for my team, so we watched film so I took it upon myself, me and Alyssa (Jerome), the seniors, we had to put the hammer down. We haven't lost three in a row. I think that's what we did.
• It would normally take us three days driving to New York from Colorado, but with my brother putting the hammer down the whole way, we made it in two.

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