cooking with gas

Definitions

1. Functioning particularly effectively; achieving something substantial.
   idiomatic, informal
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cook, with, gas.

Examples

“She said, 'What are you doing? Tell⟳ me, I want⟳ to know⟳.' The blind man said, 'We're drawing a cathedral. Me and him are working on it. Press⟳ hard,' he said to me. 'That's right. That's good,' he said. 'Sure. You got it, bub. I can tell⟳. You didn't think⟳ you could. But you can, can't you? You're cooking with gas now. You know⟳ what I'm saying? We're really going to have⟳ us something here in a minute. How's the old arm?' he said. 'Put⟳ some people in there now. What's a cathedral without people?'”

“With the updated software, I was really cooking with gas. I got the project done in half the time.”

CEFR level