up and away en · ADV
Etymology
The general sense is older. It is evident that the sense referring to landing gear synergizes with the sense referring to being aloft and soaring away: the gear being up and away accords with the aircraft and its crew and passengers being up and away.
Meanings
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(idiomatic) Moving quickly and continuously upwards, often with a sense of joy or excitement.
He is not far on his way, and the Fates and the streams are against him. Up and away to-morrow, and through the red dew of the morning We will follow him fast, and bring him back to his prison.
1847 November 1, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie, Boston, Mass.: William D. Ticknor & Company, →OCLC, (please specify either |part=I or II):
- Of retractable landing gear, retracted and stowed (put away), as contrasted with being down and locked (extended and secured for use).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most up and away | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more up and away | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |