ball of fire
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English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun[edit]
ball of fire (plural balls of fire)
- (idiomatic) A person who is especially hard-working, high-achieving, ambitious, or active.
- 1910, Rex Ellingwood Beach, chapter 16, in Going Some: A Romance of Strenuous Affection:
- "I wonder how fast this feller is? Ever heard?"
"They seem to think he's a whirlin' ball of fire, but that don't worry you none, does it?"
- 1981, Jim Brosnan, “Keith Hernandez on the Rocky Road to Cooperstown,”, in Boys' Life, volume 71, number 9, page 36:
- Despite Kennedy's glowing tribute, Hernandez was no ball of fire his first year as a pro.
- 1994, M. Scott Peck, A World Waiting to Be Born: Civility Rediscovered[1], →ISBN, page 198:
- "[T]ell me what you can about her supervisor," I requested.
"Woman in her mid-fifties. No ball of fire. She's been with the company for twenty-two years and demonstrated no desire to climb any further."
Usage notes[edit]
- Often used in the expression "no ball of fire".
Synonyms[edit]
- go-getter; See also Thesaurus:doer
Translations[edit]
hard-working, high-achieving, ambitious, or active person
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