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“When Push Comes to Shove”
“Cause when push comes to shove You taste what you’re made of” – Rascal Flatts.
The Meanings of the Phrase “when push comes to shove” explained.
How many times have you heard this phrase uttered in various circumstances by journalists, celebrities, sportsmen, businessmen and politicians, and wondered what it means? You might have heard it in song lyrics, films and TV serious, political speeches or TED talks. Virtually in all contexts both formal and informal, in British and American English, this phrase functions as a convenient way of talking about the peculiar nature and unpredictable behavior of people when in crisis or under severe pressure.
Here are some instances when you can use the phrase:
- to mean that you’d been promising to do something but faced with the actual situation you did something totally different, e.g.:
- „The president said he would support the bill, but when a push came to shove, he vetoed it.”
- „The company promised to pay its employees on time, but when a push came to shove, they delayed the salaries.”
- to state that you’d been promising to do something but you yielded to difficulty or pressure, e.g.:
- „The team played well in the regular season, but when a push came to shove, they lost in the playoffs.”
- „She said she loved him, but when a push came to shove, she left him for another man.”
- to say how determined or committed you are in face of obstacles or challenges, e.g.:
- „I had a lot of doubts and fears, but when a push came to shove, I applied for my dream job and I got it”
- „The Prime Minister faced a lot of criticism and opposition, but when a push came to shove, he stood his ground and defended his principles.”
- to express that you are ready to use violence or aggression to solve problems, e.g.:
- „He tried to avoid confrontation, but when a push came to shove, he threw a Molotov cocktail at the police.”
- „He rarely resorted to violence, but when a push came to shove, he pulled out a knife.”
The origin of the phrase dates back to the late 19 th century America and the US favourite team sports such as American football or rugby. What it
implies is that a push is a mild form of pressure, while a shove is a more powerful one. It is to say that the situation has become so unbearable that more radical actions are necessary. In general, the phrase “when push comes to shove” carries various meanings and emotions and it sometimes can be used even as a warning or threat depending on the context and tone with which it is uttered.
Rascal Flatts’s song Stand is a perfect illustration that adversity only strengthens one’s resolve to fight and never give up. At one’s lowest possible point, you should stand up and fight:
“Cause when push comes to shove
On your knees you look up
Decide you’ve had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand”.
How about you? Can you think of other uses of the phrase “when push comes to shove” in popular culture like in films, songs, articles, literature etc.? Please, leave your comment.
Oxford English Dictionary](https://www.oed.com)
Written by: Blair Daly, Dan Earnest OrtonLyrics © BMG Rights
Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA
MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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