What is the meaning and origin of the expression “to pull out all the stops”?
(Sandeep, Warrangal) When you pull out all stops to do something, you put all your energy into doing it. You make a tremendous effort to achieve something. Here are a few examples. * The team needs to pull out all the stops to win the World Cup. *Siddhesh will have to pull out all the stops to get through the exam. *The Government pulled out all the stops for this year’s Republic Day parade. The expression comes from the world of music. The “stops” refer to the “stops” in a pipe organ a musical instrument, which is normally played in church. Sound is produced in an organ when air passes through its pipes. The “stops” control the flow of air through the pipes. I understand that in order to increase the volume of the organ, you pull the stops out. The more “stops” you pull out, the louder the organ gets. S.
