Idiom – Jump on the bandwagon

Jump on the bandwagon – Idiom of the Day

Meaning:

To do something because everyone does it or because it has become popular.

History:

The history dates back to the 1800s when Dan Rice, a famous circus clown, rented his bandwagon for political campaigns because they were thought to attract public attention. There are also references to it being used in the 1890s. It is still unknown why the act of riding a bandwagon turned out to be doing something which was very popular. 

Idiom scenarios:

Scenario 1:

Parent 1: My son hated milk. He would not tolerate the smell of it.

Parent 2: How does he stay fit then?

Parent 1: He joined a cricket club where his friends drank a cup of milk before they began working out. So he jumped on the bandwagon and started drinking milk.

Scenario 2:

Lara: Robert is very honest among politicians.

Seema: Do you think so? Soon he will jump on the bandwagon and start bribing.

Exercises:

Fill in the blanks to understand the usage of the idiom:

1. Platinum is trending now. Soon Jane will ………………………………… and buy platinum jewellery.
2. The new actress seems to have …………………………….. She was spotted carrying the expensive Hermes Birkin to the airport.
3. Lisa was afraid of heights, but when her friends decided to go trekking, she ……………………….