{"id":2985,"date":"2022-04-08T17:17:10","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T17:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=2985"},"modified":"2022-04-08T17:17:10","modified_gmt":"2022-04-08T17:17:10","slug":"shoo-in-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/shoo-in-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Shoo In - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a way to describe someone with an advantageous position over others in a competition? If so,. You could say they are a \u201cShoo-in<\/em>\u201d to win. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \u201cshoo-in<\/em>\u201d means to let people know that you have the best chance of receiving an award or achieving success with a goal in your life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For instance, if someone asks you about a job application you made, you could say you\u2019re a shoo-in because you know the HR manager involved in the hiring process.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a way of saying that you are overly confident of an expected outcome. This confidence typically comes from an unfair advantage you have over the rest of the field.<\/p>\n

In the previous example, you have a friend in the company who is willing to hire you over other candidates because of your friendship.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cAccording to the boss, I\u2019m a shoo-in for the managerial position. All I have to do is ensure my performance appraisal is better this quarter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a shoo-in for class president. All the kids think my campaign is the best, and I can\u2019t wait until my inauguration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a shoo-in for the MVP of the season. This season, no other player has the same amount of points, and they are way behind the curve going into the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not worried about my college application. My father is on the board, so I\u2019m a shoo-in for next year\u2019s class.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis father is the owner of the company. So, he\u2019s a shoo-in for the managing director position when the old man retires.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, her mother is the National Women\u2019s League leader, so I imagine she\u2019s a shoo-in for the position if she wants it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The Oxford Dictionary states that the term \u201cshoo-in\u201d first appears in print in 1928. The term comes out of the horse racing industry where it describes a horse that\u2019s a guaranteed winner in a rigged competition.<\/p>\n

According to language experts, the term comes from the word \u201cshoo.\u201d Shoo means to drive an animal or person away using gestures or noises. The term became popular in horse racing culture in the 1930s, and C E Smith used it in his book \u201cRacing Maxims and Methods of Pittsburgh Phil\u201d published in 1908.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were many times presumably that \u2018Tod\u2019 would win through such manipulations, being \u2018shooed in\u2019, as it were\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, the rm changed over the years to apply to many different scenarios. Now, the term can apply to nepotism, or people with an advantageous position in competition over the rest of the field.<\/p>\n