to jump over the broomstick
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To marry in an informal way. A "brom" is the bit of a bridle; to "jump the brom" is to skip over the marriage restraint, and "broomstick" is a mere corrup- tion.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to jump over the broomstick” mean?
To marry in an informal way. A "brom" is the bit of a bridle; to "jump the brom" is to skip over the marriage restraint, and "broomstick" is a mere corrup- tion.
Is “to jump over the broomstick” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.