b)to work harder or faster, especially so that you can win a game 拼命干;加快速度〔尤指为了在比赛、游戏中获胜〕
Examples from the Corpus
put/press/push the pedal to the metal• Later, Brooks' brotheralleged that racism helped put the pedal to the metal.• By the secondhalf of the game, the Tigers had really started to put the pedal to the metal.
pedal up/along/down etc• As is traditional, the teamspedalled up and down the Champs after the presentations.• It's easy to look at your child harmlessly pedalling along on his trike without noticing he's heading towards moving swings.• He pedalled along the canalbank quite slowly, keeping his eyes skinned for signs of defunct animal life.• Miss Danziger turned off and pedalled along the line of the cliff top.• One of the birdsshat on Gravel as I pedalled up the path to town on the Tuesday morning.• The morning was grey and drizzly and Henry skidded a couple of times as he pedalled along the towpath.• So I pedalled up the Via San Pietro.• But when I first drilled that hand-made aluminium throttle pedal down to its bump stop, I was absolutely stunned.
pedalling furiously• He was last seen pedalling furiously away from the Midland Bank in Chiswick, westLondon.• All the way home, pedalling furiously, she had been nerving herself for this confrontation.
Originpedal1
(1600-1700)Frenchpedale, from Italian, from Latinpedalis“of the foot”