balls to the wall

To go at full (unregulated) power

Steam engines had mechanical regulators that consisted of a pair of hinged lever arms with a ball on the end of each arm, as the engine sped up the centrifugal force caused the arms to raise up closing a valve. If you adjust the regulator so that the arms go to horizontal (with the balls pointing to the wall) without closing the valve you are not limiting the speed of the engine.

When the captain called for balls to the wall, we stoked the fire and pushed the throttle to full.

by Pat Reen January 6, 2005

balls to the wall

Intense, extreme, to the max. The phrase comes from olde-fashioned steam engines; basically, they had two weighted balls attached to a vertical shaft which was connected to the engine. As the engine speed increased, these two balls would be raised higher because of centrifugal force! At top speed, they would be parallel to the ground, nearly touching the "walls" of the shaft! Hence, "balls to the wall."

"Balls to the wall" is a phrase with an interesting origin. Remember, when it comes to etymologies, the best story wins!

by Testicles! December 22, 2008

jingles to the wall

when a radio station drops a top jingle powerhouse for a more second-rate not average company

when KOST switched from jam to real world, it was jingles to the wall!

by tyroneey February 18, 2010

balls to the wall

A term referring to the rotating governors used on steam locomotives and related steam engines such as tractors. The brass balls acted as weights on the end of linkages, and rotated with the increase in RPM of the engine. As speeds rose, the balls swung outwards, rising on the linkages. At a pre-set height, the release valve would engage, lowering steam pressure and reining in the RPM to the allowable maximum. The balls rose towards the firewall and/or the walls of the cab., hence the term.

The Union Pacific Freight roared across the Kansas night, balls to the wall.

by Larry Grosfield May 30, 2008

pussy to the wall

Female version of the saying: balls to the wall.
It was first said in pure ironical response to the implied masculinity of the homonym 'balls'.

Mike: "Damn, how did you get here so fast?"
Sarah: "I had my pussy to the wall the whole way!"

by Maglicious February 28, 2005

balls to the wall

Originally a military term for pushing maximum G-Forces in a jetfighter aircraft, as in pushing the ball of a throttle as high up as it will go (virtually touching the wall of the dashboard).

Fast; hectic; pushed to the limits

We hit the road, balls to the wall; The fighter let loose on his opponent, balls to the wall.

by Greg Novak November 15, 2003

To the Window, to the Wall

What is quickly becoming the most sampled line in pop music.

Originated in Lil' Jon's 2003 hit 'Get Low," this line has been sampled in at least one top 40 hit every year since then.

To the window, to the wall,
To the sweat drop down my balls
To all these bitches crawl

by generic-name August 25, 2011