‘Balls to the Wall’ Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does

It all started with windmills (Nonfiction)

Photo by ŞULE MAKAROĞLU on Unsplash

Balls to the wall has nothing to do with testicles. Neither does balls out.

Both expressions mean working at maximum effort or speed, and the balls in question are part of a device invented in the 17th century — the centrifugal governor.

Please, allow me to explain.

Centrifugal governors had some balls