Make sense of something

[1037] Get the gist

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English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To understand the main point or general meaning of something, without necessarily understanding all the details.

Origin

  • Gist comes from the Old French gesir (to lie) and entered English through Anglo-Norman legal phrases like l'action gist (the action lies), meaning the grounds or essential point on which a legal case rested.
  • By the 18th or 19th century, gist moved into general usage to mean the substance, essence, or main point of any matter.
  • Get the gist therefore means to grasp this essential point.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Get the main idea
  • Understand the basics
  • Get the general picture
  • Understand the substance
  • Get the drift (informal)
  • Catch the drift (informal)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Get the drift / Catch the drift
  • Get the main vibe
  • Know the score (understand the situation)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • (Not commonly used with vulgarity, as it's about basic understanding, not strong feeling)

Milder:

  • Understand the basics
  • Get the main point
  • Grasp the essentials

Situational Appropriateness

  • Generally informal to neutral.
  • Acceptable in most work contexts for summaries, but perhaps too informal for very formal written reports.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Non-native speakers might not be familiar with the word gist. Explain it means main point or essence.

Examples

  • I didn't read the whole report, but I got the gist.
  • He spoke quickly, but I got the gist of his argument.
  • Can you just give me the gist of the meeting?

Dialogue

Anna: Professor Lee's lecture on astrophysics was really complex today.

Ben: Tell me about it! Did you get the gist of what he was saying about dark matter?

Anna: Mostly. The gist is that we know it exists because of gravity, but we don't know what it actually is.

Ben: Okay, yeah, I got that part too.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Skimmed the article. Didn't catch every detail but got the gist. Important stuff! #news #summary
  • Comment: TL;DR anyone care to give the gist of this long thread?
  • Instagram Story Poll: Did you get the gist of my tutorial? YES / NEED MORE DETAIL

Response Patterns

  • Yeah, I got the gist.
  • I think so. Basically, [summary].
  • Not really, could you explain the main idea again?
  • Sure, the gist is... (when asked to provide it).

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After someone says they got the gist:

  • Checking understanding: So, basically, you're saying...?
  • Moving on: Okay, good.

After someone asks for the gist:

  • Providing a summary of the main points.

After someone says they didn't get the gist:

  • Explaining the main points more clearly or slowly.

Conversation Starter

  • No. Usually occurs mid-conversation when dealing with complex information or summarizing.

Intonation

  • Stress typically falls on get and especially gist.
  • Did you GET the GIST?
  • Can be said inquiringly or declaratively.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common in all major English-speaking regions.
Make sense of something
🎲 Figure something out