get the lead out

Idioms and Phrases

Also, get the lead out of one's feet or pants . Hurry up, move faster. For example, Get the lead out of your pants, kids, or we'll be late , or, even more figuratively, Arthur is the slowest talker—he can't seem to get the lead out and make his point . This expression implies that lead, the heaviest of the base metals, is preventing one from moving. [ Slang ; first half of 1900s]