“Last hurrah” is an idiom used to describe a final action before a major change. It originated from a 1956 novel about a politician’s last campaign. It can be used in various contexts, such as a retirement, graduation, or final product line. “Swan song” is a similar idiom, but primarily refers to a final act before death.
The phrase “last hurrah” is an English-language idiom used to represent a final action, effort, or attempt before some eventuality, such as death, retirement, or some other major change, makes further action of that kind impossible. . The origins of the idiom can be found in a 1956 novel called The Last Hurray by Edwin O’Connor, which is about a politician’s last election campaign. The idiom is, therefore, commonly used to refer to the final political campaign that immediately precedes a politician’s retirement or death. It can also be used to refer to any other final act before a major change; a bachelor party, for example, can be called a “last hurray” before the wedding.
An idiom is a phrase that, due to popular usage, comes to take on an intended meaning that differs from the actual meanings of the words that make up the expression. A “last hurray,” for example, can literally refer to one last celebratory cheer before people return to life as usual. The expression is almost never used to refer to a final round of applause, however, and is generally understood to refer to some final action before a major change. The connection between the literal and figurative meanings is, however, evident. The “last clap” is a final act of celebration and a “last hurray” is generally a positive and pleasant final act before something makes further such acts impossible.
While the idiom is, due to its origins, often used to refer specifically to final political campaigns, it has a variety of other possible uses. For example, a senior athlete’s last season or game before retirement is often referred to as his “last hurrah.” Similarly, a college student’s final party before graduation, a director’s latest film, or a company’s final product line can be described in this idiom. Its versatility and prevalence in colloquial English make it a widely used and widely understood expression.
“Last hurrah” isn’t the only idiom that can be used to refer to a final act of some form. The idiomatic expression “swan song” can, in many cases, be used interchangeably with “last hurray”. The expression “swan song”, on the other hand, is more commonly used to refer to a final act before death because it originates from an ancient myth according to which the mute swan, mute for its entire life, immediately sings a great song beauty before death. The usage of this idiom has broadened to include retirement and other events besides death, but it still primarily refers to death.
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