Down to the Wire
Where did the “wire” come from?
Unpacking English, Bit by Bit
A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.
Unpacking English, Bit by Bit
A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.
Unpacking English, Bit by Bit
A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.
Where did the “wire” come from?
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See this web site. It explains this phrase and also other English cliches.
http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:f-EUBliOowwC:members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm+%22down+to+the+wire%22+meaning+origin&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
purpledragon_13 Dec-18-2002
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This is a better URL: http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsIndex.htm
The phrase refers to the finish line in a horse race, a string streched across the track. A very close race is uncertain "down to the wire," that is, to the end.
yog Mar-17-2003
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