Hi everyone!
Could you give me some examples in which context this phrase is used? Thanks in advance!
12 comments
Trying to accomplish something but failing.
To not succeed. “We thought we could win the championship, but we came up short.”
It means you make an attempt to satisfy a goal and you get close to doing it but ultimately don’t succeed.
Let’s say I agree to paint your house and get done by Saturday at noon. Saturday rolls around and it’s noon and I still have 10% of the house left to paint – I came up short.
[deleted]
To attempt something but fail.
To try to purchase something but you don’t have enough money.
I needed $1000 to pay the rent this month, so I took on an extra job. But even with 2 paychecks I came up short by $50.
Someone over promised and under delivered
Not have enough of something. Often used to refer to not having enough money but I’d guess the origin is something practical like sewing you come up short on fabric aka the piece of fabric you have is literally too short to make what we’re trying to make.
“Johnny was saving up for concert tickets but when they went on sale he came up short on funds and couldn’t buy a ticket”
Getting most or all of the way to your intended goal without accomplishing it.
“I needed to raise $100 by Friday, but I only was able to collect $85.”
In this instance, the person “came up short” (of their goal) by $15.
Another example:
“I came up short of my quota to lay 50 bricks by noon, as I only was able to lay 40”.
To almost achieve a goal
“The Yankees nearly made the playoffs, but came up short”
Probably helpful here to add the context that “short” isn’t referring to someone’s height. It means not far enough. My understanding is that this originally comes from archery, where an arrow that wasn’t short far enough would “fall short of the target” or “come up short.”
To not have enough distance/time/size, etc. The St. Louis Rams linebacker tackled the Tennessee Titans ball carrier at the one yard line with no time left; the Titans came up just short of tying the game.
12 comments
Trying to accomplish something but failing.
To not succeed. “We thought we could win the championship, but we came up short.”
It means you make an attempt to satisfy a goal and you get close to doing it but ultimately don’t succeed.
Let’s say I agree to paint your house and get done by Saturday at noon. Saturday rolls around and it’s noon and I still have 10% of the house left to paint – I came up short.
[deleted]
To attempt something but fail.
To try to purchase something but you don’t have enough money.
I needed $1000 to pay the rent this month, so I took on an extra job. But even with 2 paychecks I came up short by $50.
Someone over promised and under delivered
Not have enough of something. Often used to refer to not having enough money but I’d guess the origin is something practical like sewing you come up short on fabric aka the piece of fabric you have is literally too short to make what we’re trying to make.
“Johnny was saving up for concert tickets but when they went on sale he came up short on funds and couldn’t buy a ticket”
Getting most or all of the way to your intended goal without accomplishing it.
“I needed to raise $100 by Friday, but I only was able to collect $85.”
In this instance, the person “came up short” (of their goal) by $15.
Another example:
“I came up short of my quota to lay 50 bricks by noon, as I only was able to lay 40”.
To almost achieve a goal
“The Yankees nearly made the playoffs, but came up short”
Probably helpful here to add the context that “short” isn’t referring to someone’s height. It means not far enough. My understanding is that this originally comes from archery, where an arrow that wasn’t short far enough would “fall short of the target” or “come up short.”
To not have enough distance/time/size, etc. The St. Louis Rams linebacker tackled the Tennessee Titans ball carrier at the one yard line with no time left; the Titans came up just short of tying the game.