Winning English - Mastering Idioms, Slang, and References
Get your head in the game • Put your mind to it • Come into focus • Zero in • Dial in • In the zone
Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. It’s always nice to relax and rest before a busy week. I’m sure you have a long list of things to get done. You’ll be fine once you get your head in the game. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it!
For this Winning English, I chose to focus on words and phrases for focus and concentration.
“To get your head in the game” is an idiom from sports. When playing a game, it’s important to focus on the most important part of the game, usually a ball, and ignore everything else. If you lose focus, you often start losing the game. This phrase is now used in everyday life for times when you need to concentrate. If you feel distracted, you might tell yourself, “I have to get my head in the game!” Note that we don’t ever say our head is out of the game. The saying isn’t used that way.
“To put your mind to it” is a phrase that means we are ignoring distractions and focusing on the task in front of us. We’re “putting our mind” to work.
Sometimes it’s not always clear what we should be concentrating on. After all, all of us have many tasks to accomplish each week. But often it quickly comes into focus. We zero in on the most important tasks, then get to work.
The verb “to focus” comes from the world of cameras and photography, of course. When something is “out of focus”, it is blurry and difficult to see. However, when something “comes into focus”, it becomes clear and easy to see. When problems and their solutions “come into focus”, it’s often a good feeling because we finally understand what’s happening.
“To zero in on” is another way to say “to focus on” or “to concentrate on”.
Good luck with your week ahead. I’m sure that soon you’ll be dialed in and having a productive week. Maybe you’ll even get in the zone at some point. That’s always a great feeling when that happens!
Many devices come with dials. These are knobs that you turn to get the setting you want. Think of an old-fashioned radio. You had to turn the knob to the exact right spot in order to listen to a particular radio station. If you didn’t, it sounded terrible. When “you dial in”, you are getting yourself into the right state of mind to focus properly.
When you are very, very “dialed in”, you are said to be “in the zone”. This is a state of mind when all distractions seem to disappear; you relax and focus; and you perform better than you usually do. Being “in the zone” is usually a very good feeling.
Thanks for reading Winning English. Make sure to listen to the podcast, as well, to reinforce your learning. Remember, if you like what you read or hear, please tell a friend. Talk soon!