Comments on: Bring the hammer down

By: c biggs

c biggs — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:09:45 +0000

the question referred to “bring the hammer down,” not “drop the hammer.” while these sayings have similar meanings, i believe the phrase “bring the hammer down” is thousands of years old. in gladitorial combat mortally wounded fighters were finished off by a figure dressed as charon, the ferryman of the dead. he would raise a great hammer similar to a sledge hammer, and bring it down on the defeated gladiator’s head.

By: badger

badger — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:22:14 +0000

This phrase was used in a “Dragnet” episode in the late 1960s. Sgt. Friday mentions something to the effect “In my 20 years of law enforcement, I’ve had to draw my weapon only 10 times, and I’ve only had to drop the hammer twice.”

By: C A Wethern

C A Wethern — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:40:32 +0000

In regards to the phrase “drop the hammer on”, it was used in law enforcement parlance to mean shooting someone. It would be interchangeable with the current phrase “bust a cap”. One “busts” a “cap” (primer) by “dropping the hammer” on it. The hammer is that part of a firearm that drives the firing pin into the primer when the trigger is pulled, thereby causing the weapon to discharge. It was a common expression when I began my law enforcement career in the 1970’s (back when we carried revolvers that had hammers as opposed to the modern striker fired auto-loaders in vogue today). When I was interviewed prior to going “on the job”, one of the questions asked by the board was “Do you have any reservations about dropping the hammer on someone if necessary”.

By: Victor

Victor — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:18:57 +0000

Drop the hammer, or putting the hammer down, is trucker c.b. slang, meaning to drive off quickly, or drive at high speed for long periods. The term originates from the idea of pushing the throttle to the floor, and placing a heavy hammer on it to hold it down, which was done, years ago, before cruise control was added to trucks.