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Phrase(s): *a head start (on someone)
an early start [at something], before someone else starts. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) • Bill always gets there first because he gets a head start on everybody else. • I’m doing well in my class because I have a head start; I learned some of this last year., Phrase(s): *a head start (on something)
an early start on something, [before someone else starts]. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) • I was able to get a head start on my reading during the holidays. • If I hadn’t had a head start, I’d be behind in my reading.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
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An early start that confers an advantage, as in This year we'll get a head start on the competition by running more ads. The expression comes from racing, where it was used for a horse being given an advantage of several lengths over the others. Its extension to other areas dates from the early 1900s.
American Heritage Idioms