Meaning
To start something too soon, before the proper time or before adequate preparation is complete.
It’s often used to point out a mistake caused by impatience — acting before the right moment, rather than simply acting quickly.
Origin
The phrase comes from track and field, where a runner who started before the starter’s pistol fired committed a false start. An earlier related expression, “beat the gun” (or “beat the pistol”), is documented from the early 20th century — a 1905 book, “Rowing and Track Athletics” by Crowther and Ruhl, describes runners practicing the trick of “beating the pistol” to gain an illegal head start. The specific wording “jump the gun” is first documented in a November 1921 issue of “The Iowa Homestead,” though notably in a completely non-athletic, figurative context about farmers weaning pigs too early — showing the phrase had already generalized beyond the racetrack within just a couple of decades of the related “beat the gun” appearing in print.
Examples
Let’s not jump the gun before we have all the facts.
He jumped the gun and announced the news too early.
The team jumped the gun on the product launch.
A: “Should we celebrate now?” B: “Let’s not jump the gun.”
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Jump the gun' mean?
To start something too soon, before the proper time or before adequate preparation is complete.
It’s often used to point out a mistake caused by impatience — acting before the right moment, rather than simply acting quickly.