race out of the traps

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Verb

race out of the traps (third-person singular simple present races out of the traps, present participle racing out of the traps, simple past and past participle raced out of the traps)

1. (idiomatic) To start something very quickly.
   • 2010 December 28, Marc Vesty, “Stoke 0 - 2 Fulham”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     As if spurred on by the recent barbs and an increasingly perilous league position, Hughes's side raced out of the traps, starting the game as though Premier League survival depended on the result of this encounter.