The Rubber Meets The Road - Wiktionary

Jump to content

Contents

move to sidebar hide

• Beginning
• 1 English Toggle English subsection
  • 1.1 Alternative forms
  • 1.2 Etymology
  • 1.3 Pronunciation
  • 1.4 Phrase
    • 1.4.1 Usage notes

• Entry
• Discussion

English

• Read
• Edit
• View history

Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions

• Read
• Edit
• View history

General

• What links here
• Related changes
• Upload file
• Permanent link
• Page information
• Cite this page
• Get shortened URL
• Download QR code

Print/export

• Create a book
• Download as PDF
• Printable version

In other projects Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]

• the rubber hits the road

Etymology

[edit]

A metaphor derived from the point of contact between automobile tires and pavement.

Pronunciation

[edit]

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Phrase

[edit]

the rubber meets the road

1. (idiomatic, with "where" etc.) A place or circumstance at which the implementation of a plan or intent is to be achieved. Synonym: (South Africa) the tackies hit the tar
   • 1957, Max Shulman, Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!:Now we're getting down to where the rubber meets the road.
   • 2002, F. Stevens Redburn with Terry F. Buss, Public policies for distressed communities revisited, page 159:It can only be judged "when the rubber meets the road"; when its implementation does or does not produce results.
   • 2007, Dan Miller, 48 Days to the Work You Love, page 85:It is in the interview that the rubber meets the road.
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rubber,‎ meet,‎ road.
   • 1928, How to avoid automobile accidents, page 30:Even 500 feet probably wouldn't allow you to brake to a stop, because it's "where the rubber meets the road" that counts.

Usage notes

[edit]

• Almost always used with the prepositions that, when, or where.

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=the_rubber_meets_the_road&oldid=88122823" Categories:

• English terms with audio pronunciation
• English lemmas
• English phrases
• English multiword terms
• English idioms
• English terms with quotations

Hidden categories:

• Pages with entries
• Pages with 1 entry

Search Search Toggle the table of contents the rubber meets the road 1 language Add topic