IdiomDaily LifeEnglish

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

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.

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