set the Thames on fire
To achieve something amazing but to a nearly-impossible degreeTo achieve something amazing but to a nearly-impossible degree; to do something which brings great public acclaim.
» The attackers set several buildings on fire.
Зловмисники підпалили кілька будівель. — Ahha
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
1 senses(idiomatic)To achieve something amazing but to a nearly-impossible degree; to do something which brings great public acclaim.
die Welt aus den Angeln heben
вы́думать по́рохvýdumatʹ pórox, доста́ть луну с небаdostátʹ lunu s neba, дотяну́ться до звёздdotjanútʹsja do zvjozd
Examples
162 sentencesThe attackers set several buildings on fire.
Зловмисники підпалили кілька будівель. — Ahha
Someone set fire to the house.
ruКто-то поджёг дом. — Lenin_1917
deJemand hat das Haus angezündet. — carlosalberto
He set his house on fire.
ruОн поджёг свой дом. — Lenin_1917
deEr steckte sein Haus in Brand. — Vortarulo
Tom set fire to his house.
ruТом поджёг свой дом. — Wezel
deTom steckte sein Haus in Brand. — wolfgangth
Tom set his house on fire.
ruТом поджёг свой дом. — Wezel
deTom steckte sein Haus in Brand. — wolfgangth
Translations
6 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Unknown. Suggested to derive from a misconstrual of temse (“sieve”): thus, to work so vigoUnknown. Suggested to derive from a misconstrual of temse (“sieve”): thus, to work so vigorously as to heat a sieve by friction. Alternatively, a reference to lightning strikes which sometimes occurred along the Thames, occasionally setting trees on fire or causing death in unusual manner. Otherwise simply by hyperbole, from the improbability of setting a river on fire (although the image might sound like a familiar reference to the Great London fire of 1666).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
sets the Thames on fire, setting the Thames on fire, set the Thames on fire, set the Thames on fire| Base form | set the Thames on fire · to set the Thames on fire |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | sets the Thames on fire |
| Present participle | setting the Thames on fire |
| Past simple | set the Thames on fire |
| Past participle | set the Thames on fire |
irregular · Lesson
Present simpleLesson
| I, you, we, they | set the Thames on fire |
| he, she, it | sets the Thames on fire |
Past simpleLesson
| all persons | set the Thames on fire |
Present perfectLesson
| I, you, we, they | have set the Thames on fire |
| he, she, it | has set the Thames on fire |
Future simple (will)Lesson
| all persons | will set the Thames on fire |
Synonyms
1 synonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.