turn someone's crank
English
Verb
- (idiomatic) To arouse a person's interest or passion; to excite someone.
- 2000 March 26, George Vecsey, "Baseball: Mets and Cubs Are Grateful McGwire Said No to Tokyo," New York Times (retrieved 16 July 2011):
- McGwire had said that international competition did not "turn my crank," but the players on the dais today seemed positively excited about the trip.
- 2003 May 25, "The Times Bomb," Newsweek (retrieved 16 July 2011):
- But it was journalism that turned his crank. He loved knowing the secrets and the gossip; he loved trafficking in information.
- 2007 Sept. 4, Jack Welch and Suzy Welch, "From Hero To Zero," Businessweek (retrieved 16 July 2011):
- [A]bsolutely nothing beats pursuing the path that truly fascinates your brain, engages your energy, and touches your soul. Whatever you do, do what turns your crank.
- 2011 May 19, John Ortved, "Guys Confess Their Celebrity Crushes: Cannes Edition," www.glamour.com (retrieved 16 July 2011):
- Yet if you ask guys which Hollywood stars most turn their crank, you'd be surprised who their answers might be, and why.
- 2000 March 26, George Vecsey, "Baseball: Mets and Cubs Are Grateful McGwire Said No to Tokyo," New York Times (retrieved 16 July 2011):
Usage notes
- Possibly based on earlier usages describing mechanical toys operated by spring mechanisms, such as:
- 1917, L. Frank Baum, The Lost Princess of Oz, ch. 16:
- "Something animates him when you turn his crank," replied the King. "I do not know if it is life or what it is or how it happens."
- 1917, L. Frank Baum, The Lost Princess of Oz, ch. 16:
Synonyms
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