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MUSCOVITE Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Can it be explained?

Hi,

Consider the following two expressions:

(1) jump ship
(2) jump the gun

This really puzzles me... Why the definite article is required in (2) yet is not used in (1)????

(1) and (2) look absolutely 'tantamount' and 'equipotent' to my eye....Sorry if this kind of explanation does not make sense to you....

mus-te
  

Top answer

'Jump ship' is one of a number of set expressions that dispense with the expected definite article, like 'on deck' and 'abandon ship'. Rover

— Rover_KE

  • 'Jump ship' is one of a number of set expressions that dispense with the expected definite article, like 'on deck' and 'abandon ship'.
  • Rover
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7 Answers
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'Jump ship' is one of a number of set expressions that dispense with the expected definite article, like 'on deck' and 'abandon ship'.

Rover
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Thanks for your response!
Let me ask a few more questions regarding the use of the definite article.

(1) I understand it cannot be "logically explained" why jump the gun requires the definite article whereas jump ship doesn't. English learners are supposed to just learn this kind of set expressions by heart.... and it can't be help ...
full stop :-).
(2) Could yo
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MUSCOVITE Could you please also comment on the expression if (the) worst comes to (the) worst
I have seen that phrase without the definite article, a lot of times.
MUSCOVITEI understand it's up the speaker to use the definite article or not?
Yes.

I also suggest you wait for Rover's comments too.

Prajwal
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Actually, I've nothing to add.

I'm trying to think of other examples.

Rover
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MUSCOVITE(2) Could you please also comment on the expression if (the) worst comes to (the) worst
That expression does not take the articles.
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MUSCOVITECould you please also comment on the expression if (the) worst comes to (the) worst
I always thought it was

if worse comes to worst (similarly, We're going from bad to worse.)

(a worsening situation) bad, worse, worst - analogous to good, better, best.

CJ
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First, thanks everybody for their input!



For your reference:

source: Longman dictionary of contemporary English (LDOCE1, 2005)

entry: worst 2 - noun
....
7 if the worst comes to the worst especially British English,
if worst comes to
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