Many times we are immersed in complex situations that challenge our mettle and will to move forward. People are frequently subjected to great challenges that in some cases can be overcomed, in others it’s in our own hands to have the strength to overcome the adversities, situations, or problems that inevitably arise daily along the way. All of the above reflects to a great extent the meaning of the phrase that will be analyzed in this opportunity.
The idiomatic expression “get over something” means to recover from a traumatic situation and accept things as they are in order to move on. It is mostly used as an expression that reflects someone’s ability to get over something that is deeply upsetting or distressing.
The phrase “Get over something” responds to a genuine and heartfelt desire to move forward from a specific situation, either by succeeding or, if this is not possible, at least to have the strength to get out of a state of detrimental stagnation. This idiom bases its meaning on two essential actions: accepting something and moving forward.
Origin Of The Phrase “Get Over Something”
The idiomatic phrase expresses the idea of leaving the past behind regardless of what happened and overcoming any negative feelings that have been stormy for the person, it is a phrase that expresses a desire to recover and overcome despite the setbacks experienced. There are multiple linguistic uses but among the most popular are:
- To accept something and move on
- Getting over something that causes discomfort
- Not getting hung up on unpleasant past situations
- Not worrying about things that have happened and cannot be changed
But the next question that might occur to anyone is: how did this interesting idiom come about? Where was it first used? How long has it been in existence?
Since it is an old idiomatic expression, created by the society of a bygone era, it will always be very difficult to verify the authenticity of all the legends that have been woven around it. In this type of research everything is based solely on the testimonies of the people who lived at that time and whose versions passed from mouth to mouth and from generation to generation, perhaps distorting the original meaning of the phrase or perhaps not, but leaving as a legacy stories that have become absolute and unquestionable truths for the current collective.
When delving into the origin of the phrase “Get over something” we have been able to find some interesting stories that claim the authorship of this idiom.
The origin of “Get over something” is directly linked to everything related to the use of the word get over. This first reference to the use of this expression dates back to the late 14th century and was used to say that “someone was recovering from something”. Beyond this story, which may sound inconclusive, there are no other data that delve into this supposed origin.
In another version of the origin of “Get over something” it is said that its first use occurred in the world of literature by the writer John Behervaise. Who in 1839 published the novel “Thirty-six years of seafaring life”. This novel refers to the amputation of a limb and uses the phrase “Get over something” as a way of saying that must be overcome even this serious problem, the exact sentence where this phrase is used for the first time was, “Such was his state that no one supposed he could ever get over it“.
With the phrase “Get over something” it can be said that something changed in the United States that by the 1990s, it began to be used as if it were a single word rather than a compound expression, which led to it being the ideal choice to replace the word “get over” or “get over it” in the same way and sense.
One of the forerunners in using the phrase in this way was The Gleaner newspaper in Kingston, which in October 1990 published a report of a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach. After this meeting a diplomatic spokesman expressed the following: “The Americans have a serious emotional problem when it comes to Vietnam and the war. They have to get over it“.
Another quote referring to the use of “Get over something” as a single word is recorded in an article distributed by Anna Quindlen where she mentioned Hilary Clinton’s political skills, this article was published in November 1992 appearing in several American newspapers.
It can also be mentioned that the phrase “Get over something” was unofficially adopted by the homosexual community as part of a campaign that sought to send a message to society to overcome prejudice once and for all and accept the existence of this group.
What Words Could Be Synonyms For “Get Over Something”?
It is always an interesting exercise to find out if you are actually using an idiom correctly by looking for words that could be synonyms for the phrase and that can be substituted for the idiom without altering its meaning and intent.
If you are not very familiar with the phrase this may initially be a somewhat complicated test, however, it is a matter of practice until you can finally use the idiom correctly at your leisure. Some of the words that would be direct synonyms for “Get over something” are:
- Recover or recover (from something): to get back to normal after a crisis
- Survive: to overcome a very difficult or complicated test or situation
- Fix: to make amends for something
- Replenish: to recover one’s health
- Overcome: overcome an obstacle or difficulty
- Solve: to find the solution to a problem
- Shake: to shake off violently or reject something
- Elevate: invigorate or strengthen
How People Use The Phrase “Get Over Something”
So far we have made an important review of the main aspects that this popular phrase holds, however, we can still delve even deeper into the wide range of uses that people give to this idiomatic expression. We have selected a few examples to help in the comprehensive understanding of its use in everyday life when we want to positively express:
- That someone has recovered from the trauma
- The overcoming of a complex or disability
- Someone needs time to return to his or her natural state
- The occurrence of an event was necessary to overcome another situation
- That a situation serves as a motivation for someone’s recovery
- The unexpected return of someone who had been estranged
- Someone has recovered from a very complex illness
- Faith and confidence in relation to the behavior of another person
- Pride in someone who has overcome a very difficult challenge
- Competition between two people
- A plan to overcome something complex
- To indicate a desire to correct something that is in error
- To indicate the accomplishment of an extraordinary feat
- The fierce competition between two antagonists
- That someone has recovered from a work setback
- The achievement of a virtually impossible goal
- Character and determination in overcoming obstacles
- Physical recovery after a highly demanding physical exertion
- Surprise at an unexpected event
- Someone’s advantage over another person
- The need to adjust a process so that he/she experiences improvement
When used as a neutral or negative statement, the use of “get over something” could convey the following ideas:
- Doubt about the handling of a difficult situation
- Acceptance of reality whether it pleases or not
- Disbelief about someone’s performance
- That something is unacceptable or incomprehensible
- Unconcern about something
- Hidden fears that have not been overcome
- How easily people end up giving up in the face of difficult situations
Other Acceptable Uses
- To reinforce the self-esteem of another person
- To manifest the overcoming of a phobia by a person
- To talk about a past special condition and the way in which one overcame that situation
- To indicate that someone should shake himself/herself inside as a way of recovery
- To command someone to accept a situation as it is
- To indicate that a situation must be endured initially so that the expected benefits can be seen later on
Examples Of The Use Of The Phrase “Get Over Something” In Everyday Sentences
The clarification of some of the uses of “Get over something” facilitates its understanding in concrete and real sentences that can be inserted in a natural way in our messages with other receivers. Let’s look at some examples below.
- Stepping away for a while to evaluate the facts calmly could help you get over this defeat
- It was very hard to hear that truth, but today I think it was necessary for me to get over it
- You must understand once and for all that I don’t like ballet, get over it
Conclusion
When talking about recovering from a very difficult situation, overcoming unreachable obstacles, or accepting things as they are in order to move forward and be able to leave them behind, these are ideas that can be summarized in a single phrase “Get over something”.
Idiomatic expressions such as this one, enrich the communication process between people on a daily basis and at the same time stimulate imagination and creativity by developing the construction of messages based on such illustrative elements as idioms.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.