up to eleven

== English == === Etymology === The term refers to a scene in the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap (1984), in which the character Nigel Tufnel, the lead guitarist of the band Spinal Tap, shows the director of the documentary Marty DiBergi a guitar amplifier with setting knobs that go from zero to eleven, rather than the standard zero to ten. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌʌp tə ɪˈlɛvən/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌʌp tə ɪˈlɛvən/, /-əˈlɛvən/ Rhymes: -ɛvən === Prepositional phrase === up to eleven (idiomatic, informal, chiefly humorous) Up to or beyond the maximum possible threshold; to an extremely high or strong degree. [from 1984] Synonyms: see Thesaurus:to the full ==== Usage notes ==== Often used in the form to turn (something) up to eleven or to crank (something) up to eleven. ==== Alternative forms ==== up to 11 ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== === Verb === up to eleven (third-person singular simple present ups to eleven, present participle upping to eleven, simple past and past participle upped to eleven) (transitive, slang) To increase (something) to an extremely high or strong degree; to make (something) go over the top. ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === up to eleven on Wikipedia.Wikipedia