English

Verb

turn someone's crank

1. (idiomatic) To arouse a person's interest or passion; to excite someone.
   • 2000 March 26, George Vecsey, "Baseball: Mets and Cubs Are Grateful McGwire Said No to Tokyo," New York Times (retrieved 16 July 2011):

     McGwire had said that international competition did not "turn my crank," but the players on the dais today seemed positively excited about the trip.

   • 2003 May 25, "The Times Bomb," Newsweek (retrieved 16 July 2011):

     But it was journalism that turned his crank. He loved knowing the secrets and the gossip; he loved trafficking in information.

   • 2007 Sept. 4, Jack Welch and Suzy Welch, "From Hero To Zero," Businessweek (retrieved 16 July 2011):

     [A]bsolutely nothing beats pursuing the path that truly fascinates your brain, engages your energy, and touches your soul. Whatever you do, do what turns your crank.

   • 2011 May 19, John Ortved, "Guys Confess Their Celebrity Crushes: Cannes Edition," www.glamour.com (retrieved 16 July 2011):

     Yet if you ask guys which Hollywood stars most turn their crank, you'd be surprised who their answers might be, and why.

Usage notes

• Possibly based on earlier usages describing mechanical toys operated by spring mechanisms, such as:

1917, L. Frank Baum, The Lost Princess of Oz, ch. 16:

"Something animates him when you turn his crank," replied the King. "I do not know if it is life or what it is or how it happens."

Synonyms

• float someone's boat