At the same time, the inertia of the air rushing out of the tube would cause it to overshoot the mark, and a short time after opening the valve the tube, so far from containing compressed air, would contain air slightly rarefied near its mouth, and this rarefication would travel back up the tube in the form of wave motion, and, being reflected as condensation at the closed end, travel down again; and so after being reflected once or twice at the open or closed end, become damped out very rapidly in virtue of both air friction and the radiation of the energy.
"Hertzian Wave Wireless Telegraphy"
John Ambrose Fleming
Not to overshoot the mark when we want to hit it in the bull's-eye.
"The Queen of Hearts"
Wilkie Collins Last Updated: January 3, 2009
Even Cardinal Fleury, who co-operated with Walpole in bringing about the settlement, thought at one time that Walpole was too strenuous and was likely to overshoot the mark.
"A History of the Four Georges, Volume II (of 4)"
Justin McCarthy