pack a wallop

1. To be able to punch very powerfully. For such a scrawny kid, George sure can pack a wallop—even the older kids are afraid of him!

2. By extension, to have a powerful effect or impact. I don't like spicy food, so I hope this salsa doesn't pack a wallop.

pack a wallop

and pack a punch

Fig. to provide a burst of energy, power, or excitement. Wow, this spicy food really packs a wallop. I put a special kind of gasoline in my car because I thought it would pack a punch. It didn't.

See also: pack, wallop

References in periodicals archive ?

Looking for Vaccines That Pack a Wallop Without the Side Effects," http://www.

Smallpox vaccination begins in U.S.--precautions needed

Made from chickpeas (garbanzo beans), sesame seeds, lemon, and garlic, they pack a wallop of protein and will help keep you energized all afternoon.

Brown baggin' it

Patrick Goda, then at Los Alamos, had revealed that an asteroid slamming into the ocean can pack a wallop.

Asteroid impact: beware the tsunami

The cannons pack a wallop, DeNubilo said, though they are smaller than cannons that would be permanently mounted on a fort's ramparts.

YANKEES, REBS TAKE TO FIELD : CIVIL WAR CAMP RE-CREATES SIGHTS, SOUNDS OF HISTORY

At 90-million strong, mobilized singles could potentially pack a wallop at the polls, as almost 39 million American singles did not vote in the 2000 presidential election.

Newstream.com Digest: Home Insurance and College Students, `Napoleon Dynamite' Makes Cinematic History, Match.com Launches 'Every Single Vote Counts'

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