Deadline
In short: During the American Civil War, a “deadline” was a line in a prison camp that prisoners were shot for crossing. Today it means a time limit.
The word “deadline” originally referred to a literal line in Civil War prison camps. If prisoners crossed it, they were shot. Over time, it became a metaphor for time limits—thankfully with much less danger! Now, we all try to meet deadlines for work or school.
How to use it
“Deadline” is everyday English at work and school. The common verbs are “meet a deadline,” “miss a deadline” and “extend a deadline.” A “tight deadline” doesn’t leave much time. Use “by” with the date: “The deadline is Friday, so send it by Friday.”
Examples
- We need to meet the deadline, so let’s finish the draft today.
- I missed the deadline by one day.
- Can we extend the deadline to next Monday?
A common mistake
Don’t say “keep the deadline” or “protect the deadline.” Say meet the deadline. And use by Friday, not “until Friday,” for when something must be done.
Where it comes from
The prison meaning is well recorded from Andersonville, a Confederate prison camp. The jump to “time limit” is less clear: “deadline” was also a printing term by the 1910s, and the time-limit meaning shows up in American newspaper slang around 1920.
Say it out loud
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Source: Wonderopolis