power to the potato

[diamondcutter]

The car was covered with rows and rows of potatoes. Each potato had wires attached to it that went to the engine. It was the weirdest-looking car I ever saw.
“You built a car powered by potatoes?” Ryan asked.
“It can also run on pickles,” Mr. Docker replied. “But I thought a Picklemobile would sound silly. Do you want a ride?”
“Sure!” we said as we climbed in
...
We turned the corner, and there were Andrea and Emily on the sidewalk.
They were staring at the potato car with their mouths wide open, like they were looking at a ghost.
“Check it out!” Ryan shouted out the window. “We’re riding in the Spudmobile!”
“Power to the potato!” shouted Michael

Source: Mr. Docker Is Off His Rocker, Dan Gutman

In the last sentence, does the preposition “to” mean “of” or “from”?

 

[tedmc]

"Power to the potatoes" means "power goes to the potatoes". There is no equivalent preposition.

Have you heard of this song by John Lennon?

 

[5jj]

Power to the people is a rallying cry conveying the idea that something must be done to ensure that (ordinary) people have power.

Power to the potatoes is a humorous echo of this idea.

 

[Tarheel]

Somebody who is not a native speaker probably doesn't get the humor in that. (I could be wrong. I am often wrong.)

 

[Phaedrus]

Grammatically, Power to the people! resembles such exclamations as Joy to the world!, Praise to the Lord!, and "Woe to the rebellious children" (Isaiah 30:1, KJV). One might postulate a "covert" ( ) subjunctive like be; however, I doubt that John Lennon thought that Power to the people! was a reduced form of Power be to the people! Still, it is possible to find the "expanded" form, as in Bob Dylan's line "Praise be to Nero's Neptune; the Titanic sails at dawn" or the line from the Book of Revelations with which Handel's Messiah concludes: "Blessing and honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne."

 

[jutfrank]

One might postulate a "covert" ( ) subjunctive like be; however, I doubt that John Lennon thought that Power to the people! was a reduced form of Power be to the people!

Or a covert () Let there be.

Let there be power to the people!
Let there be praise to the Lord!

I suppose you could read to to mean something like 'bestowed upon' in this case and some others.

Alternatively, I think a that-clause would express the same sentiment:

That the people may receive power!
That the Lord may receive praise!

 

[diamondcutter]

Could I take “Power to the potato!” to mean “Power belongs to the potato!”?

 

[Tdol]

Yup:

All power to the potato, the fuel cars need.

 

[Skrej]

As a steak and potatoes kind of guy, I'm not keen on giving up half my diet just so somebody can joyride.