fourth gear

English

Etymology

The figurative sense reflects that in some times and places, fourth gear was the highest gear that a car could achieve; compare French en quatrième vitesse.

Noun

fourth gear (uncountable)

1. The fourth of the available gears in a transmission or other gearbox.

   Synonym: fourth (elliptical)

   Coordinate terms: low gear, first gear, second gear, third gear, fifth gear; top gear, overdrive; angel gear, neutral

2. (idiomatic, dated) A maximal level of effort.

   Synonyms: top gear, overdrive; full throttle

   • 2009, Madhu Jain, The Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema, page 243:

     During the seventies, Shashi Kapoor went into fourth gear in Bollywood, while Merchant and Ivory made a slew of films, many of which were not set in India.

   • 2014, Paul Monette, The Gold Diggers: A Novel:

     After all, he did the very same thing, pool and lunch, every Friday afternoon for five months—Friday perfect because it gave his cock a rest before the weekend, when it went into fourth gear.

See also

• downshift
• upshift