💦 Prime the Pump: Greasing the Wheels of Success 🚀
Get ready to dive into the history and eccentricities of the phrase “prime the pump,” a delightful idiom that ensures applications beyond engineering to our everyday lives.
Definition: To help something to succeed, often by providing initial resources or funding. The original meaning comes from the practice of pouring liquid into a pump to facilitate its operation.
Origins: This idiom sprouted in 19th-century America when literal pumps required liquid to remove air and start functioning. By the Great Depression, it evolved figuratively to describe government actions aimed at economic recovery. It eventually stretched to cover general supportive acts in any context.
Example in Literature: T. Sharpe used it vividly in The Great Pursuit (1977): “Significance is all . . . prime the pump with meaningful hogwash.”
Related Terms:
- Grease the wheels: Facilitating something to be achieved more smoothly by providing necessary support.
- Kick-start: Initiating a process by giving it a strong boost.
- Seed capital: Initial funding used to kick-start a project or business.
Synonyms:
- Facilitate
- Kick-start
- Initiate
Antonyms:
- Hinder
- Obstruct
- Stymie
Humor-filled Quotes and Proverbs:
- “Throwing money around like confetti might prime the pump, but we’d still need wise minds to man it!” - Phil Knowsbest
- “Money doesn’t grow on trees, but it can certainly sow the seeds of success when invested wisely.”
Recommended Entertainment:
- Books: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki (capital and financial education)
- Songs: “Money” by Pink Floyd (reflecting on financial matters)
- Movies: The Pursuit of Happyness (how support can help one’s journey to success)
With practical origins but philosophical implications, “prime the pump” remains as applicable today as it was during the era when pumps reigned supreme!
Goodbye Note:
May you always find the right prime, so every pump in your life brings forth the waters of success. Happy idiom-ing!
