steal a march on
Meaning: To gain an advantage by acting before someone else.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “Our rival stole a march on us by launching first.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Military language of the 18th century: an army that marched secretly at night gained ground on the enemy.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Damer le pion à quelqu'un — literally: To crown one's pawn over someone
More idioms — Daily Life
- throw someone under the bus — To betray or blame someone to save oneself.
- take stock — To review a situation carefully before deciding what to do.
- with pomp and circumstance — With great ceremony and display.
- reinvent the wheel — To waste effort creating something that already exists.
- a Pyrrhic victory — A win that costs so much it is almost a defeat.
- go to rack and ruin — To fall into a state of decay through neglect.
More English idioms
- the bee's knees — Something or someone excellent.
- protect one's turf — To defend one's area of control or responsibility against others.
- chase rainbows — To pursue something unrealistic.
- on one's toes — Alert and ready to react.
- left high and dry — Stranded or abandoned without help.
- an old wives' tale — A traditional belief, especially about health, that is not true.
From our compliments & insults
- Schlaumeier — A smart aleck or know-it-all.
- 石頭 (Ishiatama) — A stubborn, inflexible person who won't budge.
- Tu as du chien — You have a certain irresistible magnetism — a je-ne-sais-quoi that draws people in.