in full swing
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Fully at work; very busy; in full operation. Fum, or Fung-hwang. The phoenix (q.v.) of Chinese legend, one of the four symbolical animals presiding over the destinies of China.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “in full swing” mean?
Fully at work; very busy; in full operation. Fum, or Fung-hwang. The phoenix (q.v.) of Chinese legend, one of the four symbolical animals presiding over the destinies of China.
Is “in full swing” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.