jump the gun

Jump the gun: meaning and explanation

The expression jump the gun means to start something too soon or to act before the appropriate or official time.

When someone jumps the gun, they are being impatient or hasty – they should have waited longer before taking action.

e.g. I think we jumped the gun by announcing the project before getting final approval.

This expression comes from athletics. If a runner starts a race before the starting gun is fired, then they have jumped the gun – they have started the race too soon. Today, we use it in many different situations to describe acting too quickly, hastily or prematurely, including:

• Business decisions (launching products, making announcements)
• Relationships (moving in together, getting married)
• Investments (buying or selling too quickly)
• Medical situations (assuming the worst before getting test results)
• Career moves (quitting jobs, accepting offers)

Here are some examples in context:

We often use this expression to talk about mistakes or problems caused by doing things too quickly or not waiting for the right moment. Note that this expression often carries a tone of criticism or regret – it usually describes a mistake or poor judgment in timing. e.g. We jumped the gun moving into the new office, and now we’re stuck paying rent for two buildings.

Extra practice

Here are some questions/links to help you learn the new vocabulary:

• Have you ever jumped the gun on an important decision? What happened?
• What areas of life do people most commonly jump the gun in? (relationships, business decisions, purchases, etc.)
• Can you think of a situation where jumping the gun actually worked out well?
• Why do you think people often jump the gun when making big decisions?
• Have you ever seen a company jump the gun with a product launch or announcement? What were the consequences?
• What’s the best way to stop yourself from jumping the gun when you’re excited about something?

Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash