# What is the origin of "kick in"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-kick-in/641734>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 21, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-kick-in/641734 "2012-11-21T17:12:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-kick-in/641734/1 "2012-11-21T17:12:37Z")

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As in, “I can’t wait for this medicine to kick in.”

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-kick-in/641734/2 "2012-11-21T17:21:58Z")

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“Kick in” meaning to contribute to a cause, to “chip in,” is found from at least 1908. (Chip in is at least 50 years older.) My guess is that this sense of the term derives from that meaning. The drugs are contributing the relief or bliss to the previous state of distress. They’re alleviating the problem.