[General] go like a bomb = bomb down

[vil]

Dear teachers,

I know the interpretation of the expression “go like a bomb” used in the following sentence.

I’ll help you. It ain’t so bad. She’ll go like a bomb. (A. Sillitoe, “A Start in Life”)

go like a bomb = rush along, ride at fool speed

May I accept that the expression “bomb down” has the same interpretation?

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V

 

[BobK]

I've never heard 'bombed down', except where the 'down' is a preposition attached to another noun (and 'bombed' = 'went like a bomb': 'The car bombed down the road...'

The Sillitoe quote seems to be about speed. You can also use 'go down like a bomb' to denote success: 'The West End opening was a great success. The show went down like a bomb.'

Ther is a risk of confusion here, in a transatlantic context, as when a show 'bombs on Broadway' it doesn't go down like a bomb up it goes down like a lead Zeppelin down ;-)

b