He is a hard worker, but he will never set the Thames on fire.
set the Thames on fire
idiomTo achieve something amazing but to a nearly-impossible degree; to do something which brings great public acclaim.
Origin
first recorded 17th c.Unknown. Suggested to derive from a misconstrual of temse (“sieve”): thus, to work so vigorously as to heat a sieve by friction. Alternatively, a reference to lightning strikes which sometimes occurred along the Thames, occasionally setting trees on fire or causing death in unusual manner. Otherwise simply by hyperbole, from the improbability of setting a river on fire (although the image might sound like a familiar reference to the Great London fire of 1666).
She is talented at painting, but she is unlikely to set the Thames on fire with her latest gallery show.
While his debut novel received polite reviews, it failed to set the Thames on fire or capture the public imagination as he had hoped.
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add fuel to the fire
To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.
- 02
all set
Ready, prepared, equipped.
- 03
ball of fire
A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.
- 04
catch fire
To become engulfed in flames, to combust.
- 05
cross the Thames
Alternative form of swim the Thames.
- 06
draw fire
To create a distraction that allows one's friends, co-workers, or other associates to gain an advantage over the distracted party.
- 07
escape fire
An unconventional or counterintuitive solution to a difficult problem.
- 08
feed the fire
Synonym of add fuel to the fire.
Last updated April 17, 2026