Dictionary

get ahead of oneself en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To focus excessively on one's plans or on prospective future events without paying adequate attention to the present.
   • The eager American warriors were getting ahead of themselves. The Allies had neither the troops nor the landing craft needed to carry out Operation Sledgehammer or Roundup or the other code-named plans. 2001 June 24, Bruce W. Nelan, “Cover/D-Day”, in Time:
   • "I felt like she plays just one shot at a time. She never gets ahead of herself." 1998 July 28, Ira Berkow, “GOLF: Raised To Be A Champion; Father's Firm Push Sent Pak To the Top of Women's Golf”, in New York Times, retrieved 25 Jul 2012:
   • Montgomerie suspected he was getting ahead of himself. "I think I am thinking about next week too much," he said. 1997 July 12, Andy Farrell, “Sport: Fulke's 12 birdies fail to fell Lehman”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 25 Jul 2012:
2. (idiomatic) To develop an opinion based on insufficient information or to take action prematurely.
   • Channel 4 News's Samira Ahmed rather got ahead of herself when she told viewers on Saturday afternoon that Liverpool had beaten Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final-even thought it was still 90 minutes away from kick-off. 2006 April 28, “Media Monkey: Channel 4's crystal ball”, in The Guardian, UK, retrieved 25 Jul 2012:
   • “Frankly,” he said in a moment, “I think the chief constable has got ahead of himself on this one. There's no real evidence the man was murdered.” 2007, Cassandra Chan, Village Affairs, →ISBN, page 18:
   • Mother sometimes got ahead of herself and didn't think things through. 2011, Ann Evans, Dream Baby, →ISBN:
3. (idiomatic) To speak or write in a manner in which one makes points out of logical or chronological sequence.
   • People often interrupt themselves mid-sentence. Why? Perhaps they're excited over something and get ahead of themselves as they speak. 2011, Laura Schellhardt, Screenwriting for Dummies, →ISBN, page 151:
   • I think he just got ahead of himself in telling first of the arrest of John, then jumped back to the earlier baptism of Jesus. 2005, Christopher B. Sanford, Matthew: Christian Rabbi, →ISBN, page 64:
   • She talked so excitedly that she got ahead of herself and looked bewildered and cried out, "What was I saying?" 1951, Tennessee Williams, “The Resemblance Between a Violin Case and Coffin”, in John Updike, Katrina Kennison, editors, The Best American Short Stories of the Century, published 2000, →ISBN, page 316:

Forms

Relateds

talk out of turn · jump the gun

Translations (22)

fi mennä asioiden edelle (to make points out of logical or chronological sequence) · fr s'emballer (to develop an opinion or take action based on insufficient information) · mk се занесе (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · sv gå händelserna i förväg (to make points out of logical or chronological sequence) · fi miettiä liikaa tulevaa (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · pl zapędzać się (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · fr brûler les étapes (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · pl wyprzedzać fakty (to make points out of logical or chronological sequence) · it essere precipitoso (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · mk се занесува (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · es ser precipitado (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · fi hätäillä (to develop an opinion or take action based on insufficient information) · it farsi prendere la mano (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · pl zapędzić się (to develop an opinion or take action based on insufficient information) · fr perdre le fil (d'un discours, de ses idées) (to make points out of logical or chronological sequence) · fr s'emballer (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · pl zapędzać się (to develop an opinion or take action based on insufficient information) · pl wyprzedzić fakty (to make points out of logical or chronological sequence) · fi mennä asioiden edelle (to develop an opinion or take action based on insufficient information) · pl zapędzić się (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · fr mettre la charrue avant les bœufs (to focus excessively on prospective future events) · sv gå händelserna i förväg (to develop an opinion or take action based on insufficient information)