kick the tires and light the fires

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To take off.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Cất cánh

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

His face appears in the open window of the pilot's seat on the flight deck. He is ready. I am ready. It's time to kick the tires and light the fires.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “kick the tires and light the fires” mean?

To take off.

Is “kick the tires and light the fires” formal or informal?

kick the tires and light the fires is generally slang.