damn the torpedoes

verb

Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.

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Meanings

verbdamn the torpedoes (third-person singular simple present damns the torpedoes, present participle damning the torpedoes, simple past and past participle damned the torpedoes)

present singular third person damns the torpedoes · participle present damning the torpedoes · participle past damned the torpedoes · past damned the torpedoes

  1. idiomaticimperativeUsed to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.

    There's too much attention paid to the wrong issues. Let's just damn the torpedoes and get it done.

    1991 January 27, “Did Hollywood Sit on 'Fences'?”, in New York Times

Origin

From "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!", a famous order issued by Admiral David Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay, a paraphrase of the actual order, "Damn the torpedoes! Four bells. Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!".

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Spanish quemar la santabárbara
  • quemar la santabárbaraTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

damn the torpedoes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damn%20the%20torpedoes

MLA

“damn the torpedoes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damn%20the%20torpedoes. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “damn the torpedoes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damn%20the%20torpedoes.

Source: damn the torpedoes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.