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miss the boat
miss the boat
1. Lit. to miss out (on something); to be ignorant (of something). Pay attention, John, or you'll miss the boat and not learn algebra. Tom really missed the boat when it came to making friends.
2. Fig. to have made an error; to be wrong. If you think you can do that, you have just missed the boat. The guy's missed the boat. He's a lunkhead.
miss the boat
1. to lose an opportunity that could lead to success He thinks we're missing the boat on improving relations with Russia.
2. to not understand the importance of something I believe that people who think this issue is simply going to disappear have missed the boat.
miss the boat
to be too late to get something that you want Anyone still hoping for concert tickets will discover they have missed the boat. I sent off my university application at the last minute and nearly missed the boat.
miss the boat
1. Fail to take advantage of an opportunity, as in Jean missed the boat on that club membership. This expression, which alludes to not being in time to catch a boat, has been applied more widely since the 1920s.
2. Fail to understand something, as in
I'm afraid our legislator missed the boat on that amendment to the bill. [Mid-1900s] Also see
miss the point.
miss the boat
tv. to have made an error; to be wrong. If you think you can do that, you have just missed the boat.
miss the boat
Informal 1. To fail to avail oneself of an opportunity.
2. To fail to understand.