Question

Down-to-the-Wire running out of time; at the very last minute

Accepted Answer

I can't talk to you now. I'm down-to-the-wire on this research report. This saying started in the early 1900s and became popular by the 1940s. It comes from horse racing and the real or imaginary wire marking the end of the race. Today we refer to that finish line when we say that a person working until the last possible moment on a project is coming down-to-the-wire. Sometimes this expression can also describe a person who is very low on money.

Idiom	Down-to-the-Wire
Example	I can't talk to you now. I'm down-to-the-wire on this research report.
Meaning	running out of time; at the very last minute
Origin	This saying started in the early 1900s and became popular by the 1940s. It comes from horse racing and the real or imaginary wire marking the end of the race. Today we refer to that finish line when we say that a person working until the last possible moment on a project is coming down-to-the-wire. Sometimes this expression can also describe a person who is very low on money.

Down To The Wire Person I Talk Research Report Running Time