two-forty on a plank road
The phrase originated in 19th-century America, describing the fast pace of a horse trotting a mile in two minutes and forty seconds on wooden plank roads.
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Definition
C2Historical Slang
(obsolete, slang, informal)Describes a very fast speed.
Example
- He drove his car like it was two-forty on a plank road.
C2Historical Slang
(obsolete, slang, informal)Refers to being morally loose or having fast habits.
Example
- In the old days, living two-forty on a plank road was a way to describe someone with a fast and loose lifestyle.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "two-forty on a plank road":