Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Jump on the bandwagon

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Jump on the bandwagon" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourDecisions & Perspectives collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Decisions & Perspectives

Jump on the bandwagon

Jump on the bandwagon
To join a popular activity, trend, or opinion because it has become successful and many other people are doing it.
History & Origin

The idiom originated in 19th-century American politics when circus owner Dan Rice used his musical bandwagon to campaign for President Zachary Taylor, attracting massive crowds. Seeing its immense success, other politicians quickly rented their own bandwagons to look popular and secure votes. By the early 20th century, the phrase evolved from a literal description of political campaigning into a metaphor for mindlessly following any popular trend.

Examples
Workplace Email

After seeing how much efficiency increased for the marketing department, several other teams decided to jump on the bandwagon and adopt the new project management software.

Casual Conversation

I never used to care about football, but everyone at the office is so excited about the finals that I've completely jumped on the bandwagon.

Academic Writing

Critics argue that many traditional retail brands merely jumped on the eco-friendly bandwagon to boost short-term sales rather than implement genuine environmental reforms.

News/Media

As electric vehicles dominate the automotive news cycle, tech startups are rushing to jump on the bandwagon by developing specialized battery components.

Formal Speech

Rather than waiting to see if the community initiative succeeds before you jump on the bandwagon, I urge you to become a founding partner and lead the change from day one.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. She was so physically exhausted after the marathon that she had to jump on the bandwagon just to get a ride home.

B. Once the cryptocurrency market started booming and making headlines, thousands of everyday investors jumped on the bandwagon.

C. If you don't study hard for your IELTS exam, you will jump on the bandwagon and fail your university admissions.

D. The manager told us to jump on the bandwagon because our team budget was running low and we needed to save money.