hell-for-leather

See also: hell for leather

English

Alternative forms

• hell for leather

Etymology

Earliest reference is from 1889 in "The Gadsbys" by Rudyard Kipling, referring to the effect on the leather of a saddle (or perhaps a crop) of riding a horse as fast as possible. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “See talk page for possible earlier use.”)

Adverb

hell-for-leather (not comparable)

1. As fast as possible; recklessly fast.

   He rode hell-for-leather to catch up with the stagecoach.

Synonyms

• like a bat out of hell

Related terms

• hell-bent for leather

Translations

as fast as possible; recklessly fast

Hungarian: mint a szélvész, szélvészként, szélvészgyorsan, lóhalálában (hu), mint a villám, észvesztő/eszeveszett sebességgel Norwegian: Bokmål: fort som faen Russian: сломя́ го́лову (ru) (slomjá gólovu) Spanish: a matacaballo (es)