(See also INSTANTANEOUSNESS, SPEEDING.)
at a snail’s pace Very slowly, at an exceedingly slow rate of movement or progress. According to one source which claims to have actually measured its speed, a snail moves at the rate of one mile in fourteen days. The snail, like the turtle, is one of the slowest-moving creatures on the earth and has symbolized extreme slowness, tardiness, and sluggishness for centuries.
That snail’s pace with which business is clone by letters. (Madame D’Arblay, Diary and Letters, 1793)
blue streak See talk a blue streak, TALKATIVENESS.
faster than greased lightning At the highest possible speed; moving at a tremendous velocity. Lightning travels at the speed of light, considered by modern scientists to be the highest attainable. The concept of lubricating a lightning bolt to reduce its friction with the air and consequently increase its speed is the apparent origin of this American term.
He spoke as quick as “greased lightning.” (Boston Herald, January, 1833)
full tilt See INTENSITY.
hand over fist Left and right, by leaps and bounds, a mile a minute, rapidly; usually in reference to making money. The original expression, dating from at least 1736, was hand over hand, a nautical term with the literal meaning of advancing the hands alternatively, as when climbing up or down a rope or when raising or hauling in a sail. Still in nautical use, the phrase acquired the figurative sense of advancing continuously, as one ship gaining rapidly on another. It is in this sense that hand over fist was first used, about 1825, according to OED citations. The figurative use of hand over fist, the only form of this expression current today, dates from the 19th century.
hellbent See ZEALOUSNESS.
like a bat out of hell Very rapidly, swiftly, speedily. The precise origin or explanation is unknown. A plausible conjecture is that bats, because of their aversion to light, would beat a hasty retreat from the illuminating flames of the infernal regions. The phrase is of American origin.
We went like a bat out of hell along a good state road. (John Dos Passos, Three Soldiers, 1921)
like a house afire Quickly, rapidly, like greased lightning; vigorously, enthusiastically, hammer and tongs. This expression refers to the swiftness with which a fire can consume a house, particularly one built of wood or other flammable materials.
make a beeline To proceed directly and with dispatch; to hasten, hurry; to rush, race, or make a mad dash toward. It is commonly believed that pollen-carrying bees return to the hive speedily and directly; hence beeline meaning ‘the most direct route.’ The term is believed to be originally American; it appeared in 1848 in The Biglow Papers by James Russell Lowell.
quick as a wink Very quickly, in no time at all; in the twinkling of an eye. This is an obvious metaphor referring to the split second it takes to blink the eye.
sell like hot cakes To sell very quickly; to be disposed of immediately and without effort, usually in quantity; to be in great demand; also to go like hot cakes. Originally, hot cakes referred to corn cakes, but the term now applies to grid-dlecakes or pancakes. Freshly baked cakes, still warm from the oven, would presumably sell quickly because people would want to “get ‘em while they’re hot.” The expression dates from the early 19th century.
Ice cream sold like hot cakes Saturday, and hot cakes didn’t sell at all, as the temperature began to climb early in the morning and kept it up until 4:30 P.M. (The Fort Collins Coloradoan, June, 1946)
slap-bang See CARELESSNESS.
slapdash See CARELESSNESS.
slow as molasses in January Very slow, barely moving. Molasses, naturally thick and sluggish, becomes even more so in cold weather due to the crystallization of its high sugar content. Among the numerous variants are the expanded version slow as molasses going uphill in January and slow as cold molasses.
A pace is a step of normal length that you take when you walk.
You do not use 'pace' to refer to the sound made by a person's step. The word you use is footstep.
You also do not use 'pace'to refer to a mark in the ground made by a person's foot. The word you use is footprint.
| Imperative |
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| pace |
| pace |
| Noun | 1. | pace - the rate of moving (especially walking or running)quick time - a normal marching pace of 120 steps per minute double time - a fast marching pace (180 steps/min) or slow jog rate - a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit; "they traveled at a rate of 55 miles per hour"; "the rate of change was faster than expected" |
| 2. | pace - the distance covered by a step; "he stepped off ten paces from the old tree and began to dig"indefinite quantity - an estimated quantity | |
| 3. | pace - the relative speed of progress or change; "he lived at a fast pace"; "he works at a great rate"; "the pace of events accelerated" temporal property - a property relating to time fastness, swiftness, speed - a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens; "the project advanced with gratifying speed" beat - a regular rate of repetition; "the cox raised the beat" deliberateness, unhurriedness, slowness, deliberation - a rate demonstrating an absence of haste or hurry sluggishness - the pace of things that move relatively slowly; "the sluggishness of the economy"; "the sluggishness of the compass in the Arctic cold" | |
| 4. | pace - a step in walking or running step - the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down; "he walked with unsteady steps" | |
| 5. | pace - the rate of some repeating event beats per minute, bpm, M.M., metronome marking - the pace of music measured by the number of beats occurring in 60 seconds rate - a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit; "they traveled at a rate of 55 miles per hour"; "the rate of change was faster than expected" | |
| 6. | pace - a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride linear measure, linear unit - a unit of measurement of length chain - a unit of length lea - a unit of length of thread or yarn | |
| Verb | 1. | pace - walk with slow or fast paces; "He paced up and down the hall" walk - use one's feet to advance; advance by steps; "Walk, don't run!"; "We walked instead of driving"; "She walks with a slight limp"; "The patient cannot walk yet"; "Walk over to the cabinet" |
| 2. | pace - go at a pace; "The horse paced" go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" canter - go at a canter, of horses walk - walk at a pace; "The horses walked across the meadow" rack, single-foot - go at a rack; "the horses single-footed" gallop - go at galloping speed; "The horse was galloping along" | |
| 3. | pace - measure (distances) by pacing; "step off ten yards" | |
| 4. | pace - regulate or set the pace of; "Pace your efforts" |