Knowledge and understanding get the hang of something Ifyou get the hang of an activity, you learn how to do it well. {INFORMAL} After a few months you will tart getting the hang of the language ond expressing yourself quite wel get the picture Ifyou get the pi you understand what is happening ina situation, INFORMAL] NOTE This expression is often used when someone does not understand something immediately ‘Anna was giggling. She wos beginning to et the picture. get the wrong end of the stick or get hold of the wrong end of the stick If someone gets the wrong end of the stick or gets hold of the wrong end of the stick, they completely ‘misunderstand a situation or something that is said. INFORMAL} Did! get hold of the wrong end of the stick? Was that not what he meant? get your head around something or get your head round something if you get your head around a fact oran dea, you succeed in understanding itor accepting it. [GRITISH INFORMAL) ‘At first people laughed at me because they simply could not get their head around what Iwas telling them. Its hard to get your head round figures this big. go in one ear and out the other if something that you tell someone goes in one ear and out the other, they pay no attention tot, or forget about itimmediaely. "ve told him so many times ~itjust goes in one ear and out the other. agreyarea '¥you call something a grey area, you mean that tis unclear, for example because nobody is sure how to deal with tor it falls between two separate categories of things. Tabloid papers paint all sportsmen as heroes or villains, Theres no grey area in between, not have a clue you do not have a clue about something, you do not know anything about it, or you have no idea what to do about it. INFORMAL] | don't have o clue what 'm supposed to be doing. © Work on your Idioms Knowledge and understandingUNITT jump to conclusions !f someone jumps to conclusions, they decide oo quickly that something is true, when they do not know ailthe facts. Forgive me. {thought you were married. | shouldn't jump to conclusions [NOTE You can also say that someone jumps to althe conclusion, {didnt want her to jump tothe conclusion that the dlvorce was in any way her fui NOTE People sometimes use cap instead of jump. The medical establishment wos careful not to leap to conclusions. Put two and two together 'fyou put two and two together, you correctly guess the truth about something from the information that you have, ‘He put two and two together and guessed what the police were searching for. Nove You can say that someone puts two and two together and makes five, to mean that they guess something more exciting or interesting than the truth, ‘Mr Lane’ solicitor said that the police had put two and two together and made five read between the lines {you read between the lines, ou understand what someone realy means, or what is really happening in a situation, even though itis not stated openly. He didn’t go into details, ut reading between the tines it appears that he was forced to leave. NOTE! You can also talk about what is between the lines, He didn't give a reason, but sensed something between the lines take something on board Ifyou take an idea, suggestion, or fact on board, you understand it or. ‘accept it. (BRITISH) NOTH The literal meaning of this expression isto take something onto a boat or ship. ‘istened to them, took their comments on board, and then made the decision. up to speed Hf you are up to speed, you have all the latest information about something. We try keep people entertained andup to speed with what’ gong on in town. ‘SOFT You can say that you bring someone upto peor that hey gt upto pest when you give them sl the latest information about something, !.guess should bring you upto speed on whats been happening since I came to see you yesterday. The ‘resident has been getting up to speed an foreign policyExercise 1 ‘Complete the sentences with the words in the box. fear | clue | hang | picture "stick | area 1 Is00n began to get the of the new fling system, 2 Anna doesn't have a how to talk to children, 3 The difference between telling alie and not telling the whole truth isa grey 4 I thought she was paying for dinner but l must have got the wrong end of the 5 Brad tried to remember the directions but they seemed to have gone in one and out the other. 6 The inspector spent a few minutes withthe victim and soon began to get the Exercise 2 Match sentence halves 1~6 with A-F to make complete sentences. 1 We saw them together in the restaurant and it was A. read between the lines soeasy to 2 I've told them ma vegetarian many times but they 8 takeit on board. just dont 3 The real skill of being an agony aunt is being ableto Chad put two and two together and made five. 4 Tvelearnt alot about the new regulations and tll jump toconclusions. ‘un a training day to 5 The international dateline isan idea ve never been E get my head around, able to 6 Unfortunately, the children were disappointed: they Fring you all up to speed, Exercise 3 Complete the sentences. Choose the best answers. 1 Then you click‘save’and move the file to here. Do you read berween the ines / get the picture / put two and two together? 2 It’s going to take me a couple of days to get up to speed / the picture / the wrong end of the stick with the new projec. 3. This is avery dificult exercise. | ust can't jump to conclusions / go in one ear and out the other / get my head round it. 4 Don't worry. You'll soon get the hang oft / jump to conclusions / get the wrong end ofthe stick. 5 Listen toall the evidence and don't take it on board / jump to conclusions /get your head around it {6 Adam shook his head; he didn’t put two and two together / read between the lines / havea clue how to fx this. Exercise 4 Replace the underlined words with the correct idioms in the box. ‘get hold of the wrong end of the stick", gatthe hang of it | get the'pleture’ ‘goinone ear and outtheother | haven'tgotaclue | read between the lines You don't have to explain it anymore. | understand the situation, He doesnt listen carefully, and tends to misunderstand. | don't think I be able to do the accounts. | know nothing about book keeping. ‘They haven't actually said anything is wrong, but I can sense it. It's dificult at first, But after a bit of practice, you learn how to doit, You have to repeat everything to them. 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