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)

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)

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