{"id":9849,"date":"2022-10-07T17:56:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T17:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=9849"},"modified":"2022-10-07T17:56:07","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T17:56:07","slug":"a-shot-in-the-arm-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/a-shot-in-the-arm-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"A Shot in the Arm \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Would you like an interesting saying that means something was an uplifting or fun experience, and want it to be a saying that people don't use all that often? The saying 'a shot in the arm' <\/strong>might be the perfect fit for what you want to talk about. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The saying 'a shot in the arm' <\/strong>is a figurative phrase that is used to mean that something has been a pleasant surprise, or that something has been a fun experience.<\/u><\/p>\n

If someone uses the phrase to say that '[it was] a shot in the arm' <\/strong>then it means that something was good (or went well).<\/u><\/p>\n

The phrase 'a shot in the arm' <\/strong>can also be used in the future tense, to say that something 'is going to be a shot in the arm' <\/strong>or a good future experience.<\/p>\n

The figurative meaning of the phrase can be found in that both a literal and figurative 'shot in the arm' would provide an unexpected jolt.<\/u><\/p>\n

Figurative use of the phrase implies that a shot in the arm 'is something good that will make the recipient jump'<\/u> while the literal use of the phrase would imply that someone is getting an injection (or 'shot') in the arm.<\/u><\/p>\n

Literal use of the phrase can also say that someone was 'shot in the arm'<\/strong> to mean a gunshot, though the context will be obvious from what has been said in the rest of the sentence.<\/u><\/p>\n

While rare, the figurative phrase 'shots in the arm' <\/strong>can also be used to reference something if it refers to more than one event.<\/u><\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cWe didn't think that we were going to enjoy the hundredth Saw movie all that much, but it was actually a real shot in the arm. We can't wait for the franchise to go on, and on, and on...\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my aunt asked us how we liked the teacup ride, I told her we found it a real shot in the arm. It took me another three minutes to explain how this was a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a real shot in the arm to see my grandfather again after fifty years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy great-grandfather was shot in the arm in the army, although that's not what I meant when I said it was a shot in the arm to see him. That was a more awkward reunion than I planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The origin and first use of the phrase 'shot in the arm' is not given according to most online etymological resources.<\/p>\n

The phrase 'shot in the arm' is likely to have entered common English language terms after the introduction of the common 'shot' or vaccination.<\/p>\n

The introduction of vaccination programs, likely just before or after WW2, is a possible early origin for the expression's popularity if not the first origin of its figurative use.<\/p>\n

The term 'a shot in the arm' is most likely to have carried the literal meaning first, and assumed its more common figurative meaning over time.<\/p>\n

The phrase is said to be more common in United States English than other forms of the language, and other languages carry no common equivalent which can make translation confusing.<\/p>\n

Phrases Similar to A Shot in the Arm<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • A shot in the head<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Phrases Opposite to A Shot in the Arm<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • N\/a<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n
        \n
      • [that's a] shot in the arm<\/li>\n
      • [that was a] shot in the arm<\/li>\n
      • [that's going to be a] shot in the arm<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Ways People May Say A Shot in the Arm Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

        There are several ways in which the phrase 'shot in the arm' can be used in the wrong way, or the context misunderstood by the rest of the discussion.<\/p>\n

        Something cannot generally be described as 'shots in the arm', and the singular form of the phrase is most common. It is not common for the phrase 'shot in the arm' to be shortened further, as the meaning and context would fall away.<\/p>\n

        Acceptable Ways to Phrase A Shot in the Arm<\/h2>\n

        The correct way to use the phrase is to say that something was, is, or will be 'a shot in the arm' as a positive reference to the experience that was, is, or will be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Would you like an interesting saying that means something was an uplifting or fun experience, and want it to be a saying that people don't use all that often? The saying 'a shot in the arm' might be the perfect fit for what you want to talk about. This post unpacks the meaning and origin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9849"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9849"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9851,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9849\/revisions\/9851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}