# go or blow

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-or-blow
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Of a car or its engine: to perform either very well or not at all.

## Examples

- This old truck is either go or blow on the highway.
- The mechanic warned me that the modified engine is strictly go or blow during a race.
- Given the volatile nature of the vintage racing engine, the driver knew the performance would be go or blow.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.