fly out of the traps

In reference to the start of a greyhound race.

fly out of the traps (third-person singular simple present flies out of the traps, present participle flying out of the traps, simple past flew out of the traps, past participle flown out of the traps)

1. (idiomatic) to start quickly.
   • 2011 January 11, Jonathan Stevenson, “West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC‎:

     The hosts flew out of the traps and with Scott Parker and Mark Noble working beautifully together in tandem in the centre of their midfield they began to exert serious pressure on Foster's goal.