Have you seen the phrase 'coming to a head' and would like to know more context behind the origin, early use, and meaning of the saying? 'Coming to a head' is a figurative English saying used to mean that something is coming to a peak, a climax, or a close. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this saying.
Meaning
The phrase 'coming to a head' is a common figurative expression in the English language.
'Coming to a head' is usually used to mean that something is coming to a close, reaching a peak, or going to reach its eventual climax.
The phrase 'coming to a head' can be used as a statement, and it can be said as a direct phrase to someone (or about someone).
The context of what is 'coming to a head' is usually said or implied by the rest of the discussion.
Common use of the phrase can also be said in the negative form, to imply that something is not coming to a close – or 'coming to a head'.
There are several ways to use the phrase depending on the tense, including 'coming to a head' and 'going to come to a head'. Someone can also say that it 'came to a head' in the past tense.
Example Usage
“They've dragged out this election so fucking much over the past two weeks, it doesn't look like it's ever going to come to a head.”
“It doesn't matter how long your father has been evading you for, the whole thing has to come to a head eventually.”
“There isn't much you can do about the situation until the other party responds to your demands, or doesn't and you'll have to go to court until it comes to a head.”
“I have so much work that it's not coming to a head before midnight, so I won't make it to the party.”
Origin
According to most online language resources, the phrase 'coming to a head' is likely to have entered common speech somewhere in the 1800s.
'Coming to a head' has a partially medical origin as a literal phrase. Sores, pimples, and boils would 'come to a head' when they are ready to be extracted or to burst open – and in this case, the expression was just adopted from a common medical saying at the time to a figurative one.
Use of the phrase is common as a metaphor today, and it's considered a dead metaphor where the current meaning brings up almost no reference for the speaker to where the phrase might have originated.
The phrase 'coming to a head' is listed by Urban Dictionary more than once, in the year 2006 and again in 2015. The phrase is given the same meaning in both, which is consistent with the most common modern use of the saying.
Phrases Similar to Coming to a Head
- Coming to a close
Phrases Opposite to Coming to a Head
- Only beginning
What is the Correct Saying?
- Coming to a head
- Going to come to a head
Ways People May Say Coming to a Head Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can use the saying 'coming to a head' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the saying.
The phrase can sometimes be incorrectly used as 'coming to ahead', which does not render a valid use of the metaphor.
The phrase can be misunderstood or mistranslated, as many languages do not have a direct equivalent of the saying.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Coming to a Head
There are several correct ways to use the phrase 'coming to a head' in conversation.
When something is 'coming to a head', the phrase means that something is going to come to a close or conclusion.