where's the fire

where's the fire idiom
What's the big hurry, as in We've got to finish up.—Why, where's the fire? This phrase, generally addressed to someone in an unseemly rush (such as a speeding motorist pulled over by a police officer), alludes to firemen hurrying to put out a fire. [Slang; 1920s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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