Beneath the Wraps

    “Jumping the Gun” is a phrase I’ve used before – and although I knew what it meant, I didn’t understand its origin – so why on earth would I use a phrase that I myself didn’t understand?     I looked it up online and came across an explanation of foot racing (though I suppose it could find to any other kind as well) in which a gun was fired to start the race.  The runner who was “jumping the gun” was the runner who took off (or attempted to) before the gun was fired.  Thus “jumping the gun” is acting before the proper time.         We have been house hunting since before Christmas.  Our initial offer made on a house (here in Oregon) was made on December 1.  But we couldn’t get the kind of loan that we had planned for, and so we had to withdraw.      Meanwhile, we still owned a house in Utah but have signed that over to our youngest son.  He and his wife ...

    “Jumping the Gun” is a phrase I’ve used before – and although I knew what it meant, I didn’t understand its origin – so why on earth would I use a phrase that I myself didn’t understand?     I looked it up online and came across an explanation of foot racing (though I suppose it could find to any other kind as well) in which a gun was fired to start the race.  The runner who was “jumping the gun” was the runner who took off (or attempted to) before the gun was fired.  Thus “jumping the gun” is acting before the proper time.         We have been house hunting since before Christmas.  Our initial offer made on a house (here in Oregon) was made on December 1.  But we couldn’t get the kind of loan that we had planned for, and so we had to withdraw.      Meanwhile, we still owned a house in Utah but have signed that over to our youngest son.  He and his wife ...