avenue tank

slang A bus. The avenue tank was supposed to get to this stop five minutes ago—any idea where it is? Woo hoo, I got my driver's license! No more avenue tank for me! I hate having to wait around for the avenue tank in the rain, bleh.

be built like a tank

To have a physique or structure that is strong and physically imposing. George started going to the gym every day since January—now he's built like a tank! These bomb shelters are built like tanks by design, so they can withstand anything. You really think we'll be able to sneak past that bouncer? He's built like a tank!

See also: built, like, tank

built like a tank

Having a physique or structure that is strong and physically imposing. Man, you're built like a tank! You'd be a great addition to the football team as a linebacker! If you're going out in this snow, take my car—it's built like a tank! What is this "planned obsolescence" nonsense? Back in my day, things were built like a tank, and they lasted forever!

See also: built, like, tank

drunk tank

slang A jail cell where people are detained after having been arrested for public drunkenness or a similar offense. My son's in the drunk tank, so I have to go down to the police station and pick him up. That's it, call the cops to come down here and take this clown to the drunk tank. Let's go home because if you keep yelling in public like this, you're liable to be carted off to the drunk tank.

empty the tank

To contribute, expend, or put forth the utmost of one's effort, ability, or energy. The veteran singer still empties the tank at each and every one of his performances. All right, ladies. There's two minutes left and we need four more points to win the game, so go out there and empty the tank! Though we emptied the tank in game seven, it wasn't enough to get us to the Stanley Cup Finals.

have nothing left in the tank

To have no more energy, willpower, or motivation to continue. A: "Come on, we've just got another mile to go!" B: "No way, dude, I'm done. I've got nothing left in the tank. Their defense has put up an incredible fight all game long, but it's pretty clear by now that they just have nothing left in the tank. If we keep having to work 80-hour weeks to get this project done, we'll have nothing left in the tank by the time we reach the deadline.

in the tank

1. Plummeting, as of prices. Housing prices around here are in the tank right now, so I doubt we'll get the price that we want if we sell. I needed to sell my Beanie Baby collection back in the '90s, before its value was in the tank. If stocks are in the tank, what will that mean for our portfolio?

2. Available for use. I always keep an extra box of cereal in the tank for the kids. If you don't eat well before the game, you won't have enough energy in the tank to play well. Well, we're not going to get very far with that minimal amount of gas in the tank!

3. Very much in favor of someone or something. I'm not in the tank for anyone, I swear—I'm completely neutral! Why would I be in the tank for a commercial building that close to my house? If you're not in the tank for their plan, then please sign our petition!

junk tank

slang A prison cell or section reserved for drug addicts. (A play on "drunk tank.") Look, a junkie who's jonesing is a danger to themselves and others. Best to keep them in the junk tank, away from the others.

tank up (on something)

1. To fill the fuel tank of a vehicle (with a particular type of fuel). We'll need to tank up before we get on the highway tomorrow. I'm going to tank up on gas at the next rest stop.

2. To eat or drink (something) until one is full. We're going to be having dinner soon, so don't tank up on chips and candy. We stopped halfway to tank up on trail mix and water.

3. To drink alcohol to the point of intoxication. Don't tank up during lunch—we don't want any mistakes during the meeting this afternoon. He just sat silently at the bar, tanking up on whiskey and soda.

4. To ply someone with alcohol to the point of intoxication. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "tank" and "up." It was my 21st birthday, so my friends tanked me up on all manner of liquor. Someone spiked the punch to try to tank up the entire auditorium of students.

5. Of a substance, to cause someone to become intoxicated due to having been ingested. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "tank" and "up." Wow, that cocktail you made me really tanked me up!

See also: tank, up

think tank

An organization or group of people working to perform research and propose solutions and courses of action to another organization or group, often political parties, government bodies, or the military. President Ronald Reagan based many of his policies on the results of a study done by the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank.

tiger in (one's) tank

A lot of vigor, determination, and motivation. A reference to an advertising slogan of the oil company Esso: "Put a tiger in your tank." The company had a tiger in its tank in the late '90s, a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut in the industry, but a series of awful business decisions and the economic crash led it to bankruptcy in 2013. The manufacturers advertise the energy supplement as being able to put a tiger in your tank when you're feeling tired.

tank up

(on something) and tank up with something

1. Lit. to fill one's fuel tank with something. I need to tank up on premium gas to stop this engine knock. It's time to stop and tank up. We need to tank up with gas.

2. Sl. to drink some kind of alcoholic beverage. toby spent the evening tanking up on bourbon. Jerry tanked up with gin and went to sleep.

See also: tank, up

tank up

1. Fill a gas tank with fuel, as in As soon as we tank up the car we can leave. [First half of 1900s]

2. Drink to the point of intoxication. F. Scott Fitzgerald used this expression in The Great Gatsby (1926): "I think he'd tanked up a good deal at luncheon." This expression often is put in the passive, meaning "be or become intoxicated," as in My roommate really got tanked up last night. [Slang; c. 1900]

See also: tank, up

think tank

A group or organization dedicated to problem-solving and research, especially in such areas as technology, social or political strategy, and the military. For example, The congressional leaders rely too heavily on that conservative think tank. This term originated about 1900 as a facetious colloquialism for brain and was given its new meaning about 1950.

built like a tank

1. If someone is built like a tank, they are very big and strong. He was built like a tank and always sat alone in the bar.

2. If an object is built like a tank, it is very strong and will last a long time. Once I had a Czechoslovakian motorbike. It was built like a tank, weighed a ton, and was pure joy to ride.

See also: built, like, tank

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

a tiger in your tank

energy, spirit, or animation.

This expression originated as a 1960s advertising slogan for Esso petrol: ‘Put a tiger in your tank’.

be built like a ˈtank

(also be built like a ˌbrick ˈshithouse taboo, slang) (of a person) be very big and strong: He’s a wrestler? Well, that doesn’t surprise me — he’s built like a tank!

See also: built, like, tank

in the ˈtank

(American English, informal, business) (about the price of shares, bonds, etc.) falling quickly: Technology stocks are doing well, but everything else is in the tank.

tank up

1. To fill the tank of a motor vehicle with gasoline: Gas prices are so high, I can barely afford to tank up. Don't tank up with low-quality gasoline.

2. To eat, drink, or accumulate a supply of food or drink: Midway through the hike, we stopped by a stream to tank up on water. The travelers pulled into a roadside diner and tanked up.

3. Slang To intoxicate someone: Someone poured a bottle of vodka in the punch and tanked up the unsuspecting partygoers. The kids got tanked up on soda pop and ran around in the yard. Many of the revelers were too tanked up to drive home.

4. Slang To drink to the point of intoxication: The losing team is tanking up at the bar.

5. Slang To be consumed to the point of intoxicating someone: That last glass of whiskey really tanked me up.

See also: tank, up

avenue tank

n. a bus. Watch out for them avenue tanks when you cross the street.

drunk tank

n. a jail cell where drunks are kept. (see also junk tank.) They hose down the drunk tank every hour on Friday and Saturday nights.

junk tank

n. a jail cell where addicts are kept. (see also drunk tank.) That junk tank is a very dangerous place.

on the tank

and on a tank

mod. on a drinking bout. All the guys were on the tank last Saturday.

on a tank

verb

See on the tank

tank

1. and tank up in. to drink too much beer; to drink to excess. Let’s go out this Friday and tank a while.

2. n. a drunkard. (Usually tank-up.) You’re turning into a real tank, Harry.

3. n. a jail cell for holding drunks. One night in the tank was enough to make John take the pledge.

4. tv. & in. to lose a game deliberately. The manager got wind of a plan to tank Friday’s game.

5. in. for something to fail. The entire stock market tanked on Friday.

tank up

verb

See tank

See also: tank, up

think-tank

n. a place where great minds are assembled to try to think up solutions to problems or to envision the future. She spent a few months in a California think-tank, then came back to teach.

in the tank

1. In reserve: a runner who didn't have enough in the tank to hold the lead.

2. In a state of decline or failure: Stocks have been in the tank for months.

3. Enthusiastically partial; strongly favoring: a reporter accused of being in the tank for a candidate.