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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Phrase “Sell Yourself Short” Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?

Where Did the Phrase “Sell Yourself Short” Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?

March 15, 2020 by Karen Hill

If someone sells himself short, he’s probably nervous about the future, and for good reason.

The expression comes from the stock market.

“Selling short” means that you’re selling shares you don’t yet own.

If an investor believes a stock is on the decline, he might gamble by selling it before purchasing it in the future at a lower price.

The difference is his profit.

Unless the stock goes down, he pays the consequences of selling short.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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