damn the torpedoes

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English

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Etymology

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From "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!", a famous order issued by Admiral David Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay, a paraphrase of the actual order, "Damn the torpedoes! Four bells. Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!".

Pronunciation

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Verb

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damn the torpedoes (third-person singular simple present damns the torpedoes, present participle damning the torpedoes, simple past and past participle damned the torpedoes)

  1. (idiomatic, chiefly imperative) Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.
    • 1991 January 27, “Did Hollywood Sit on 'Fences'?”, in New York Times:
      There's too much attention paid to the wrong issues. Let's just damn the torpedoes and get it done.

Translations

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See also

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