shoot one's wad
Spend everything at once
To shoot one's wad is to expend all one's resources or energy at once, holding nothing in reserve: He shot his wad on the first round of betting and had nothing left.
The phrase originally referred to firing a musket's wadding along with the shot.
It carries a secondary vulgar sense of male ejaculation, which now colors the expression for many speakers.
- go all outCommit completely, withhold nothing
- overexertStrain through excessive effort
- go for brokeRisk all resources
- go whole hogCommit without reservation
- overspendSpend beyond means
use up · blow one's load · burn out · max out · pull out all the stops · leave it all on the field · empty the tank · tire out · run out of steam · burn the candle at both ends · premature · spent · climax · spent
shoot one's wadhold back
Prevent forward movement
pace oneself · conserve · ration · economize · save
shoot one's wadpace oneself
Control one's exertion rate
keep one's powder dry · bide one's time · hold one's fire · take it slow · hold off