chocks away

chocks away!

1. A command to remove an aeroplane's chocks in preparation for imminent take-off.
2. (by extension) A signal of the commencement of a journey or activity.
   • 1970, New Scientist‎, volume 48-49, page 61:

     And the half-reclining astronaut posture he is forced to adopt breeds sub-conscious fears that any minute now it may be chocks away and blast-off for the Moon.

   • 1982, Perspectives‎, page 26:

     Since the final "Chocks away!" was not given until after most schools had, perforce, completed their option choice procedures, the TVEI had to compete with choices already settled.

   • 2001, Kitty Aldridge, Pop‎, page 210:

     She thought of the way Pop shouted 'Chocks away, mate!' before he stamped on the accelerator and they shot like Apollo 13 down Worcester Lane, their heads trailing over the backs of the seats with the G force.

   • 2014, Lars Iyer, Wittgenstein Jr‎:

     Saying goodbye like World WarII fighter pilots. Well, this is it, old man. Cheerio, old chap. Take care now. Goodbye, old sock. Toodleoo, old thing. Chocks away, groover. Chin-chin, old pal! Goodbye for six weeks, until the new term in January.

   • 2018 April 17, “Ivory Coast rain stokes cocoa supply worries, sending price rising”, in Financial Times:

     Chocks away for cocoa which hit a new 18 month high on concerns about excess rains in the top producer Ivory Coast.