bump the lamp

verb

To go above and beyond.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbbump the lamp (third-person singular simple present bumps the lamp, present participle bumping the lamp, simple past and past participle bumped the lamp)

present singular third person bumps the lamp · participle present bumping the lamp · participle past bumped the lamp · past bumped the lamp

  1. slangTo go above and beyond.

Origin

From a scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? where Eddie accidentally bumps a hanging lamp. The lamp swings, changing the light and shadows, and the animators meticulously made Roger’s animation reflect those changes.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

bump the lamp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bump%20the%20lamp

MLA

“bump the lamp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bump%20the%20lamp. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bump the lamp,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bump%20the%20lamp.

Source: bump the lamp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.