There are many fast idioms that we use in English, but not all of them refer to speed. How confusing idioms can be!
Don’t worry though, we’re here to help you understand the meaning of these idioms and other phrases using ‘fast’ and ‘quick’. Get ready for some:
- Fast idioms
- ‘Faster than’ idioms
- ‘As quick as’ idioms
Will you make fast work of this list?
Fast idioms
First, we’ll look at some idioms which include the word ‘fast’ (although they aren’t necessarily all idioms about speed).
Lightning fast
Something that happens lightning fast, at the speed of lightning or at lightning speed happens extremely quickly – just like a flash of lightning.
“The freshly-baked cupcakes disappeared lightning-fast at the children’s birthday party.”
“The team completed the assault course at lightning speed.”
Lightning-fast may also be used as an adjective:
“Her lightning-fast time put her top of the leaderboard.”
You can find this on our list of weather-related idioms too.
Fast talk
Fast talk is speech which is intense and persuasive but usually deceptive or manipulative in nature. People speak like this when they want you to take action quickly without thinking too much about the decision.
It’s often used as a verb in the phrase fast-talk someone into something:
“That door-to-door salesman fast-talked me into purchasing a ton of things I didn’t need.”
Nowhere fast
The idiom get nowhere fast or go nowhere fast refers to the exact opposite of speed. It means you are making very little or no progress.
“I’ve been working on this project for weeks but I’m getting nowhere fast.”
We can also use either of these phrases without ‘fast’ added.
Live life in the fast lane
Someone who lives life in the fast lane has an energetic and exciting lifestyle and is often involved in risky or high-pressure activities.
“Joel loves to live life in the fast lane; he’s just taken up base jumping as a hobby!”
This also features on our list of idioms for life.
Pull a fast one
To pull a fast one (on someone) is to trick or deceive them or carry out a practical joke.
“Are you pulling a fast one on me?”
Make a fast buck
To make a fast buck (or a quick buck) is to make money quickly and with minimal effort. This idiom may often refer to a dishonest or morally questionable way of making money.
“Alan has been making a fast buck with his online business.”
Take a look at some more money idioms here.
Thick and fast
The adverbial idiom thick and fast means rapidly and in large quantities.
“The rain was coming down thick and fast as they drove home.”
“The customers are coming thick and fast today.”
Stand fast
When used as an adverb, ‘fast’ can mean ‘quickly’ but it can also mean ‘securely’. From this meaning, we get the idiom stand fast, which can also be said as stand firm. It means to remain determined or to refuse to change your position or opinion.
“Let’s all stand fast against the management’s proposal to increase working hours.”
“If you really care about animal welfare you must stand firm in your beliefs when buying beauty products.”
The idiom hold fast can also be used in this way. However, it can also refer to a physical adhesion to something.
Make fast work of
To make fast work of something or someone means that you very quickly deal with, handle or finish that thing. It can also refer to the consumption of food or drink.
“You made fast work of that pizza! You must have been hungry.”
“The red team made fast work of the yellow team in the tournament.”
Fast track
The phrase fast track can be used in several ways. Firstly, the fast track to something is the quickest way to achieve it, following an accelerated path.
“Alissa is on the fast track to success in her career.”
As a verb, to fast-track means to expedite or speed up a process.
“We’ll fast-track your application so you can expect to receive a response within a week.”
As an adjective, it has a similar meaning.
“I had to pay an extra $150 for the fast-track application.”
This ‘fast’ idiom also appears on our list of business idioms.
‘Faster than’ idioms
The idea behind ‘faster than’ idioms is that you’re likening one thing to another to illustrate how fast it is. This is a kind of simile.
Here are some examples of common ‘faster than’ idioms used in English:
- Faster than lightning
- Faster than a speeding bullet
- Faster than a wink of an eye
- Faster than a dog with a bone
- Faster than you can say… (followed by a phrase relevant to the situation)
Here are some examples:
“This tool will help your website run faster than lightning.”
“I’ll have your washing machine fixed faster than you can say ‘bad plumbing’.”
If you want to talk about time passing quickly, you might find these time idioms useful as well.
The great thing about ‘quicker than’ and ‘faster than’ idioms is that you can make them up yourself. As long as the thing you add is something which is understood to be very fast, the comparison will work.
These phrases are often used by comedians in one-liner jokes, by adding something unexpected but humorous to the ending. For example:
- Gone faster than a turkey in November
- Disappeared faster than a toupee on a windy day
- Wakes you up faster than a cold toilet seat in the morning
- Vanished faster than a politician’s promises
And so on…
‘As quick as’ idioms
These ‘as quick as’ idioms are similar in meaning and use to the ones listed above. They all mean ‘extremely fast’ or ‘as fast as possible’.
- As quick as your legs can carry you
- As quick as can be
- As quick as a flash
- As quick as a wink
- As quick as lightning
You may also say ‘as fast as’ for any of these, although some more commonly use ‘quick’. You can also drop the first ‘as’ from all except the first one:
“Quick as a flash, he disappeared round the corner.”
“Run to get help – as quick as your legs can carry you!”
Again, you could improvise your own endings with these if you like.
I hope you now have a better understanding of how to use these ‘fast’ idioms and phrases. Can you think of any other idioms to talk about speed? Leave a comment below to let me know!
