пуститься во все тяжкие

From the professional jargon of bell ringers, where тя́жкая (tjážkaja, literally “heavy”) refers to a bell. Thus, the phrase originally meant “to start ringing all the bells”, later reinterpreted by association with the expression тя́жкий грех (tjážkij grex, “grave sin”).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [pʊˈsʲtʲit͡sːə vɐ‿ˈfsʲe ˈtʲaʂkʲɪje]

пусти́ться во все тя́жкие • (pustítʹsja vo vse tjážkije) pf (imperfective пуска́ться во все тя́жкие)

1. (idiomatic) to engage in a reprehensible activity without restraint, to indulge in vices (e.g. drinking, dissoluteness, etc.), to break bad
2. (idiomatic) to not scruple to use any means, to not be squeamish about any means one uses

For quotations using this term, see Citations:пуститься во все тяжкие.