gas

A person who speaks at too great a length, saying little of value and often with an air of pretentious authority. Ah, quit prattling on about the government, you old gasbag! You don't know the first thing about politics.

To have a thoroughly entertaining, enjoyable, and/or amusing time. I went out last night with all my old high school buddies for a night on the town. We had a gas! We were all having a gas at the party when the police showed up to tell us we were being too loud.

To move quickly; to accelerate or go faster. Used especially while riding in an automobile. We'll need to hit the gas if we want to make it to the movie on time.

To do or say something to make an argument, problem, or bad situation worse; to further incense an already angry person or group of people. The debate was going poorly for the senatorial candidate, and his strikingly uncouth comments simply poured gasoline on the fire. Revelations of the CEO's massive retirement package poured gas on the fire for consumers already furious over the charity's dubious financial dealings.

A vehicle that consumes more than the average amount of gasoline during normal usage. Every time the price of oil rises, people trade in their gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient cars.

slang To be making rapid progress or performing efficiently. Now that we've had this breakthrough with our experiment, we're really cooking on gas.

The act of manipulating someone psychologically so that they begin to doubt their experience of reality. The phrase comes from the 1938 play Gas Light, in which the protagonist attempts to induce insanity in his wife by constantly questioning or doubting her reports of strange events, such as the dimming of the house's gas lights (which has in fact occurred and is related to the husband's nefarious activities). Her husband must be gaslighting her because she suddenly doubts all the evidence that she's found of his indiscretions. The administration has been accused of gaslighting with its repeated attempts to spread disinformation.

doing [something] exactly right. That's great! Now you're cooking with gas! I knew she was finally cooking with gas when she answered all the questions correctly.

to put gasoline into a vehicle. I have to gas this car up soon. I will stop and gas up the car at the next little town.

to fill up one's gasoline tank with gasoline. I have to stop at the next service station and gas up. The next time you gas up, try some of the gasoline with alcohol in it.

Euph. to release intestinal gas through the anus. Someone on the bus had passed gas. It smelled awful. Something I ate at lunch made me pass gas all afternoon.

to chase someone or something out of something or some place. The old man ran the kids out of his orchard. He ran out the kids.

to drive or steer something out of something or some place. The cowboys ran the cattle out of the corral. They ran out the cattle.

to hurry up; to make a vehicle go faster. (As if stepping on an automobile's accelerator. step on the gas. We are going to be late! step on it! Let's go!

to put fuel in a vehicle We stopped at a service station to gas up the car and clean the windshield. Gas it up and check the oil.

to lose the energy or interest to continue run out of steam I think our team ran out of gas toward the end of the game's first quarter.

to hurry in order to get something done quickly step on it If we're going to get this done today, it's time to step on the gas.

to be making good progress and to be likely to succeed We're cooking on gas. Keep the work coming in like this and we'll meet the deadline.

a car that uses a lot of fuel I want to sell this huge gas guzzler and buy something that's cheaper to run.

something that you say to someone when you want them to drive more quickly Step on the gas, will you, we have to be there in five minutes!

Also, cook on the front burner. Do very well, make rapid progress. For example, The first half is finished already? Now you're cooking with gas, or Two promotions in two years-she's really cooking on the front burner! The first of these metaphoric phrases alludes to gas stoves, which began to replace slower wood-burning stoves about 1915. The variant, which alludes to something on a stove's front burner receiving more attention, is heard less often today. [Slang; 1940s] Also see back burner.

Supply a vehicle with gasoline, as in I want to be sure to gas up before we go. James M. Cain used this term in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934): "I went to gas up a car." [Colloquial; c. 1930 Also see tank up.

see under run out of.

Exhaust a supply or quantity of, as in We're about to run out of coffee and sugar. This expression, dating from about 1700, can be used both literally and figuratively. Thus run out of gas may mean one no longer has any fuel, but it has also acquired the figurative sense of exhausting a supply of energy, enthusiasm, or support, and hence causing some activity to come to a halt. For example, After running ten laps I ran out of gas and had to rest to catch my breath, or The economic recovery seems to have run out of gas. On the other hand, run out of steam, originally alluding to a steam engine, today is used only figuratively to indicate a depletion of energy of any kind.