jump up

Status
Not open for further replies.

shootingstar

Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2022
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
German
Home Country
Germany
Current Location
Germany
STAGE MANAGER
.......
It's three years later. It's 1904.
It's July 7th, just after High School Commencement. That's the time most of our young people jump up and get married. Soon as they've passed their last examinations in solid geometry and Cicero's Orations, looks like they suddenly feel themselves fit to be married.
(Thornton Wilder, Our Town)
Hello all,
Please, what do you take jump up to mean in this context? Any help is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
From the rest of context, it's clear that he means that the second those young people graduate from high school, they can't wait to get married. The use of "jump up" is to suggest speed.
 

Barque

Banned
Joined
Nov 3, 2022
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
English
Home Country
India
Current Location
Singapore
I more or less agree with emsr2d2's interpretation but with possibly a slightly different view. It sounds to me as if the speaker means those young people suddenly feel adult, and more "free", and decide they want to do adult things as quickly as possible.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top