Up a hill, one-in-four

Posted by Antoinette Vawter on February 27, 2010 at 19:17

To go up a hill, one-in-four is the phrase I'm questioning. The French have a saying, se mettre en quatre (a faire quelque chose)which means to break oneself in four to accomplish something, push oneself to the limit. Is that the sense of this phrase in English or is there reference to one in four being obese, out of shape, unfit?

• Up a hill, one-in-four David FG 28/February/10
  • Up a hill, one-in-four Victoria S Dennis 08/March/10