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Origin In The Pipe Organ
- "Pull out all the stops" originates from pipe organs where pulling a stop enables a rank of pipes to sound.
- Using all stops produces a full, booming sound, metaphorically meaning to use every available resource.
1842 Parisians Cough For Organist
- An 1842 Kentish Gazette item described Parisians coughing to show approval while an organist "pulls out all of the stops."
- The passage shows an early literal use as a church performance spectacle.
Matthew Arnold Cemented The Metaphor
- Matthew Arnold used a figurative form in 1865, comparing English reserve to a "narrow-toned organ."
- This marks the shift from literal organ talk to metaphorical usage.
