Jump the gun
Meaning: To act too soon or before the right time; to be premature.
Used when someone starts before they should, acts on incomplete information, or makes an announcement prematurely. Whether it's celebrating before the final result or launching a product before it's ready, jumping the gun means acting too hastily.
Examples
- Don't jump the gun — we haven't gotten the official results yet. 别急——我们还没拿到正式结果呢。No te precipites — aún no tenemos los resultados oficiales.早まらないで——まだ公式な結果が出ていないよ。서두르지 마 — 아직 공식 결과가 나오지 않았어.
- I jumped the gun by telling everyone about the promotion before it was confirmed. 升职还没确认我就跟所有人说了,太心急了。Me precipité al contárselo a todo el mundo antes de que el ascenso estuviera confirmado.昇進が確定する前にみんなに言っちゃって、フライングだった。승진이 확정되기도 전에 다들한테 말해 버려서 성급했어.
- The company jumped the gun on the product launch and it was full of bugs. 公司急于推出产品,结果产品满是漏洞。La empresa se adelantó con el lanzamiento del producto y estaba plagado de errores.会社は製品発売を急ぎすぎて、バグだらけだった。회사가 제품 출시를 너무 서둘렀더니 버그투성이였어.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: advice, mistakes, timing
Tone: cautionary, corrective
✓ Do Say
- Don't jump the gun.别操之过急。No te precipites.早まらないで。서두르지 마.
- I think we jumped the gun on that.我觉得我们那件事做得太急了。Creo que nos adelantamos con eso.あれはちょっとフライングだったと思う。그건 우리가 너무 서두른 것 같아.
✗ Don't Say
- Using it to scold someone who was genuinely excited about good news can dampen their spirit当别人是真心为好消息感到兴奋时,用这个表达来批评他们会扫了别人的兴Usarlo para regañar a alguien que estaba genuinamente ilusionado con una buena noticia puede apagar su entusiasmo.良い知らせに純粋にワクワクしている人に使うと、相手の気持ちを萎えさせてしまう좋은 소식에 대해 진심으로 기뻐하는 사람을 나무라는 데 쓰면 그 사람의 기분을 꺾을 수 있다
Origin & History
From track and field, where runners who start before the starting gun fires are penalized. 'Jumping the gun' means beginning before the signal, and has been used figuratively in American English since the early 1900s.
Cultural Context
Era: 1900s-present
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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