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According to WWWJDIC, 歯止め is used as follows:

> 歯止めをかける; 歯止めを掛ける (exp,v1) to curb; to halt; to apply brakes; to put an end
> to

The English translations have a pretty good correspondence with the imagery,
especially if you consider 歯車.

Consider the opposite action:

> To get things moving; to get it in drive; to weigh anchor; to find purchase;
> to stop spinning wheels; to find traction; to [actually] get started; to get
> underway

What would be a Japanese expression that corresponds? 取りかかる, 緒に就く, 切り口, and 糸口
all come to mind, but they're still not quite right. The physical lurch when a
vehicle or mechanism starts delivering power is the key to all of these
English expressions; I would like to get as close as possible while staying
within natural expressions.
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2014-04-22T10:38:06.263
15528
2014-04-23T20:02:59.910
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question
word-choice translation expressions idioms metaphor
Opposite of 歯止め?
It would probably be 拍車をかける, which means to spur, encourage, accelerate etc.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-23T20:02:59.910
15547
2014-04-23T20:02:59.910
5212
15528
answer