Many English idioms are visually apparent. With out of hand and get a grip are two “figures of speech” that you can almost see the meaning of. What are your guesses?
If a problem or situation is out of hand, that means it is uncontrollable or unmanageable. For example, many people would say the United States let the coronavirus get out of hand.
If somebody tells you to get a grip, that means you need to calm or control your thoughts because you perceive that things are out of hand! Usually, the person telling you to get a grip sees that you are overreacting.
The lesson: While reading or hearing English, Try to “see” what the words are saying. Use your visual imagination. As with most languages, English idioms often communicate through a visual analogy or metaphor. Is that clear? 👀✊
Photo by: Henry Gargan
The term figure of speech is a general term that refers to metaphors that have become common idioms. Here’s another figure of speech that most people can feel when they hear it: “My heart fell to my stomach.” That’s a feeling we all have known at one time or another!
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