You’ll be ahead of the bandwagon!

A professor was telling her class that they will be studying a certain subject in more detail next semester so studying it ahead of time might be unnecessary but “at least this way you’ll be ahead of the bandwagon!” This is a mashup of “ahead of the curve” (at the forefront or leading in something) and “jump on the bandwagon” (join something only after it has become popular).

The origin of the idiom ‘jump on the bandwagon’ is an interesting one. In nineteenth century America, a ‘bandwagon’ was a horse-drawn wagon with a platform for a group of musicians (a band) that often preceded a circus parade. The phrase was first seen in 1848, when a famous clown named Dan Rice would use his circus bandwagon to transport politicians around town while the music attracted the public to an area where campaign speeches were being given. https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/jump-on-the-bandwagon

A big thank you to Rob Shand for hearing this one and passing it on!