Scribe of wisdom

Down to the wire

>Until the last moment that it is possible to do something
>Not decided until the very last minute
>A tense situation in a competition where the outcome is clear only at or near the end

The origin of the idiom is in horse racing. In the late 19th century, a small wire was strung across the track, above the finish line, to help the judges determine which horse crossed the finish line first. In Scribner’s Magazine in 1889, in the story ‘How the derby was won’, it was mentioned that “As the end of the stand was reached Timarch worked up to Petrel, and the two raced down to the wire”

Example

I think the election will go right down to the wire (which means be won at the last moment)

Negotiations went down to the wire, but we did in fact agree on a new contract by the deadline

One thought on “Down to the wire”

  1. Jay V says:

    Its a new expression to me…..however,I love learning….thanks for updating

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