Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

over one's skis

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.16 in modern English

Syllables
over one's skis
IPA
19
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
1
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

Acting or speaking prematurely; getting ahead of oneself.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Per Noreen Malone’s article in the Intelligencer: “the phrase’s metaphorical use seems to have begun in the finance world. Its first non-skiing print usages came in the early nineties, in publications like Investment Dealers’ Digest. For instance, a 1991 article quoted a “market source” describing a race between Goldman Sachs’ and Lehman Bros.’ preferred stock desk. “Someone said [Lehman] couldn’t get a clean legal opinion on it. They may have been out over their skis a little bit with their structure.”” https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2012/05/where-did-the-phrase-over-his-skis-come-from.html As in skiing, the person in question has taken a position from which they must quickly back away. Taking a position that one lacks the ability to maintain. Quite normal in skiing, but costly in other fields.

Inflected Forms

out over one's skis (alternative) in front of one's skis (alternative) ahead of one's skis (alternative)

Questions

What does over one's skis mean?
Acting or speaking prematurely; getting ahead of oneself.
Where does over one's skis come from?
Per Noreen Malone’s article in the Intelligencer: “the phrase’s metaphorical use seems to have begun in the finance world. Its first non-skiing print usages came in the early nineties, in publications like Investment Dealers’ Digest. For instance, a 1991 article quoted a “market source” describing a race between Goldman Sachs’ and Lehman Bros.’ preferred stock desk. “Someone said [Lehman] couldn’t get a clean legal opinion on it. They may have been out over their skis a little bit with their structure.”” https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2012/05/where-did-the-phrase-over-his-skis-come-from.html As in skiing, the person in question has taken a position from which they must quickly back away. Taking a position that one lacks the ability to maintain. Quite normal in skiing, but costly in other fields.

How to pronounce over one's skis

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