Pulling Out All Of The Stops
- By Josh Dove
When someone says they’re “pulling out all the stops,” it means they’re giving everything they have, no holding back, no reserves. But this vivid phrase didn’t start in sports, business, or casual conversation. Its roots lie in the world of music, specifically in the grand tradition of the pipe organ.
What Does “Pulling Out All the Stops” Mean Today?
In everyday English, the phrase is used to describe:
Doing everything possible to achieve success
Making the biggest possible effort
Creating the fullest or most impressive effect
It conveys not just hard work, but a sense of magnificence. When someone “pulls out all the stops,” they’re not just trying, but they’re going for maximum impact.
The Musical Origin of the Phrase
What Are “Stops” on an Organ?
On a pipe organ, stops are knobs, drawbars, or tabs that control which ranks of pipes are activated. Each stop adds a particular tonal quality—whether flute-like, trumpet-like, or string-like.
When an organist pulls a stop, they’re essentially adding a new voice to the organ’s sound. Different combinations of stops let the musician control tone color, volume, and expressive nuance.
Pulling Out All the Stops on the Organ
In a literal sense, pulling out all the stops means engaging every single stop on the console, allowing the maximum amount of pressurized air to enter the pipes. The result is the organ at its loudest and most powerful, capable of filling vast cathedrals with a wall of sound.
As the slide you shared explains:
Organists pull stops based on what the score details. Different combinations of stops can change the amount of pressurized air in the pipes, causing the tone and volume to change.
“Pulling out all the stops” means to literally pull out all the stops, which lets the maximum amount of air into the pipe. This creates the loudest tones that a pipe organ is capable of.
This isn’t something organists do casually. It’s a dramatic choice, reserved for special musical moments:
The climactic ending of a hymn or anthem
Triumphant passages in organ symphonies
Celebrations like weddings, Easter, or Christmas services
From Music to Metaphor
The figurative use of “pulling out all the stops” began appearing in English in the 19th century. Writers borrowed the organist’s language to describe efforts beyond the ordinary. By the mid-1800s, the phrase was appearing in newspapers and literature, used to describe politicians, athletes, artists, or anyone giving their all.
Why the Phrase Still Resonates
Even though most people today have never sat at an organ console, the phrase continues to thrive. That’s because it doesn’t just suggest effort—it suggests spectacle, fullness, and awe.
It’s not just working harder.
It’s making a statement.
It’s unleashing everything at once.
In this way, the phrase still mirrors its original meaning: the grand sound of an organ at its absolute peak.
So the next time you hear someone promise to “pull out all the stops,” remember its roots. The expression is more than just an idiom born from centuries of artistry and the majestic sound of the organ.
