get the drift

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪft

Verb

get the drift (third-person singular simple present gets the drift, present participle getting the drift, simple past got the drift, past participle (UK) got the drift or (US) gotten the drift)

1. (idiomatic) To understand, at least on some basic or general level.

   I don't really read French, but I can often guess enough to get the drift.

   • 2022 January 12, Sir Michael Holden, “Reform of the workforce or death by a thousand cuts?”, in RAIL, number 948, page 24:

     By now you're probably starting to get my drift that cutting costs in today's rail industry is not going to be either easy or pain-free.

Related terms

• catch someone's drift