на всю железку

• НА ВСЮ ЖЕЛЕЗКУ highly coll

[PrepP; Invar; adv (intensif); fixed WO]

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1. [used with subj: human]

⇒ жать, нажимать, нажать и т.п. на всю железку (to press one's foot down on a gas pedal) as hard as possible (thus making a vehicle go at its maximum speed):

- X жал на всю железку{{}}≈ X stepped on it;

- X threw it into high gear;

- X floored it;

- X put the pedal to the metal.

     ♦ "Командир нашей автороты спрашивает: "Проскочишь, Соколов?"... - "Какой разговор! - отвечаю ему. - Я должен проскочить, и баста!" - "Ну, - говорит, - дуй! Жми на всю железку!"" (Шолохов 1). "'Can you get through, Sokolov?' asks the commander of our company. ... 'What are you talking about!' I told him. 'I've got to get through, and that's that.' 'Get cracking then,' he says, 'and step on it!'" (lc).

     ♦ "Куда?..." Бирюков показал на удаляющуюся "Волгу". "За ней, чтобы не упустить". - "На всю железку можно?" - "Жми!" (Чернёнок 1). "Where to?"Birukov pointed to the Volga ahead. "Follow that car and don't lose it." "Can I floor it?" "Go ahead!" (1a).

2. работать, делать что на всю железку. Also: НА ПОЛНУЮ ЖЕЛЕЗКУ (to work, do sth.) to one's full capacity, at one's full potential: (go) all out; giving it all <everything> one's got; giving it one's best shot; [usu. in refer, to a physical task]

⇒ with might and main; going (the) whole hog; [in limited contexts] going great guns.

3. жить на всю железку (to live one's life) taking advantage of all the opportunities life has to offer:

- (live life) to the fullest.