
IdiomDaily Life
English
jump the gun
Meaning: To do something prematurely; to start early, before all the preparations have been made.
Example: “The store jumped the gun and put up Christmas lights in October.”
Equivalents in other languages
Swedish: het på gröten Literally: Hot on the porridge
Origin: From athletic races, where a runner who starts before the starting pistol is fired has jumped the gun. The phrase is American from the early 20th century.
More English idioms
- kangaroo court A court set up outside the regular legal system; staged trial where the outcome is set fr…
- keep someone at arm's length To keep someone at a distance emotionally.
- keep something under one's hat To keep something secret.
- keep the ball rolling To maintain momentum; to keep some process going.
- keep up with the Joneses To have the same standard of living as one's friends and neighbors do.
- keyed up Full of nervous anticipation; anxious; tense.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. Believed by Guinness to be among the hardest in English — 'six/sick/sheikh/sheep' blur in…
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.
- She sells seashells by the seashore. The definitive 's' versus 'sh' alternation — the tongue has to switch place of articulati…
Keep exploring