Judging from these idioms, you would think that English speakers are jumping all the time! While some can be taken literally, it’s best to know when to jump and when to hit the brakes! Here is a list of five common jumping idioms and examples of how to use them:

1. Jump off the deep end- to take an immediate and drastic action

Example: “After her dog died, Rebecca really jumped off the deep end- she adopted six puppies!”

2. Jump on the bandwagon- to join in a popular activity

Example: “So many people are trying to quit smoking that I might as well jump on the bandwagon and quit as well.”

3. Jump to conclusions- to make a quick judgment without thinking about it

Example: “Eric jumped to conclusions and blamed Lisa for breaking his computer simply because she was in the room.”

4. Jump the gun- to start something before you should

Example: “Victor really jumped the gun with his project proposal- he should have waited until the other proposal was either accepted or rejected.”

5. Jump down (someone’s) throat- to criticize or become angry with someone

Example: “Aaron jumped down Sandra’s throat when she showed up late to work yesterday.”

Are there other jumping idioms that you find confusing? Share them with us and we’ll write a blog post to explain them!

Jessica Weeg