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crank
crank in/into (something)
To factor in or integrate as a necessary element of something. Your bonuses and potential overtime pay are not cranked into your gross salary calculations. We'll have to crank in potential environmental impacts when planning the new factory.
turn (someone's) crank
To excite or arouse the interest of someone. To be honest, science never turned my crank in school. I was always more interested in literature.
crank someone up
Fig. to motivate; to get someone started. (See also
crank something up.)
See if you can crank up your brother and get him going on time today. Some mornings, I can't crank myself up enough to get to work on time. crank something out
Fig. to produce something quickly or carelessly; to make something in a casual and mechanical way. John can crank a lot of work out in a single day. The automated production line could really crank out parts, but the quality was shoddy.
crank something up
1. to get a machine or a process started. (Alludes to turning the starting crank of an early automobile.) Please crank the machinery so the workers can start working. Let's crank up the drill and make a few holes here in the wall.
2. to increase the volume of an electronic device. He cranked it up a little more and CRACK, there went both speakers! Kelly cranked up his stereo until we were nearly deafened.
crank out something
also crank something out to produce something continually, like a machine He regularly cranks out one movie a year and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
crank up something
also crank something up to increase something To meet the demand for their baked goods, the plant has cranked up the speed of the production lines. The volume was cranked up so high that he had to scream in order to talk to the woman next to him.
crank in
Factor in, integrate, as in We'll have to crank in both state and federal taxes when we make our plans. [Slang; 1960s]
crank letter
Also, crank call. An irrational, fanatical, or hostile letter or telephone call. For example, The office was flooded with mail, including a lot of crank letters, or Harriet was upset enough by the crank calls to notify the police. This expression employs crank in the sense of "irrational person." The first term dates from the mid-1900s, the variant from the 1960s.
crank out
Produce, especially mechanically or rapidly, as in I don't know how he can crank out a novel a year. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]
crank up
1. Get started, as in The theater season is cranking up with four benefit performances. This expression transfers the literal sense of crank, "operate a motor by turning a crank," to starting any activity. [Slang; 1930s]
2. Stimulate or intensify one's efforts. For example, We've got to crank up enthusiasm for this new product, or Close to the election the campaign really cranked up. [Slang; mid-1900s]
crank out
v. To produce, especially mechanically and rapidly: The secretary cranked out one memo after another. I know you're tired of stuffing envelopes, but you need to crank them out.
crank up
v.1. To cause a machine to start working by or as if by turning a crank: The mechanic cranked up the antique car to show us how it worked. We waved goodbye as the pilot cranked the engines up.
2. To put something into action: The producers cranked up a massive publicity campaign before releasing the film.
3. To motivate someone: I could barely crank myself up to get to school this morning. An emcee came out before the performance and cranked up the crowd.
4. To cause something to intensify, as in volume or force: I cranked up the stereo when my favorite song came on. We cranked the motor up to 4200 rpm.
bathtub crank
n. homemade amphetamine. (From bathtub gin.) Somehow she got hold of some bathtub crank and had a really bad trip.
crank
1. n. a crackpot; a bothersome person with a bogus message. A crank called with a bomb threat.
2. mod. bogus; false; phony. We had four crank calls threatening to blow up the Eiffel tower.
3. n. a crabby person. (Collegiate.) Why are you such a crank? Is something wrong in your life?
crank bugs
n. a drug-induced hallucination that insects are crawling under one’s skin. (Drugs.) There’s no such thing as crank bugs, so stop scratching them.
crank something out
tv. to produce something; to make a lot of something. She can crank mystery novels out like fury. They’re all good, too.
crank something up
1. tv. to start something up. (Probably alludes to the old style car that had to be started with a crank.) I’ll go out and crank the car up so it can warm up.
2. tv. to increase the volume of an electronic device. Kelly cranked up his stereo until we were nearly deafened.
cranking
mod. exciting; excellent. We had a massively cranking time at your place.
yank someone’s crank
tv. to tease a male sexually. Don’t pay any attention to her. She’s just yanking your crank.