A Shot in the Arm
"Something that provides a sudden, welcome boost of energy, confidence, or momentum."
Drawn directly from medicine: a "shot" is an informal word for an injection, and a shot in the arm is one of the most common ways to administer one. The earliest known appearance in print comes from a 1916 article in the Lewiston Evening Journal, using the phrase in roughly its modern figurative sense, something that delivers a quick, effective boost. Exactly who first made the leap from literal medical injections to a general metaphor for encouragement isn't recorded, but the medical root of the image is well established.
Sources: Lewiston Evening Journal (1916), earliest known citation; medical usage of 'shot' meaning injection documented from the early 20th century.
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