on the beam

on the beam
on the beam
Fig. exactly right; thinking along the correct lines. •

That's the right idea. Now you're on the beam!

She's not on the beam yet. Explain it to her again.

* * *
{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. (Of an airplane) In the radio beam that marks the path to follow between airports; flying in the right direction. * /A radio signal tells the pilot of an airplane when he is flying on the beam./ 2. {slang} Doing well; just right; good or correct. * /Kenneth's answer was right on the beam./ Contrast: OFF THE BEAM.

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Mote and the Beam — A c. 1619 painting by Domenico Fetti entitled The Parable of the Mote and the Beam. The Mote and the Beam (also called discourse on judgmentalism) is a New Testament saying in …   Wikipedia

  • the beam in one's own eye — phrasal : a blemish as palpable as a house beam cast the beam out of thine own eye Matt 7:5 (Authorized Version) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Abaft the beam — Beam Beam (b[=e]m), n. [AS. be[ a]m beam, post, tree, ray of light; akin to OFries. b[=a]m tree, OS. b[=o]m, D. boom, OHG. boum, poum, G. baum, Icel. ba[eth]mr, Goth. bagms and Gr. fy^ma a growth, fy^nai to become, to be. Cf. L. radius staff, rod …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Before the beam — Beam Beam (b[=e]m), n. [AS. be[ a]m beam, post, tree, ray of light; akin to OFries. b[=a]m tree, OS. b[=o]m, D. boom, OHG. boum, poum, G. baum, Icel. ba[eth]mr, Goth. bagms and Gr. fy^ma a growth, fy^nai to become, to be. Cf. L. radius staff, rod …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • On the beam — Beam Beam (b[=e]m), n. [AS. be[ a]m beam, post, tree, ray of light; akin to OFries. b[=a]m tree, OS. b[=o]m, D. boom, OHG. boum, poum, G. baum, Icel. ba[eth]mr, Goth. bagms and Gr. fy^ma a growth, fy^nai to become, to be. Cf. L. radius staff, rod …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • on the beam — 1. mod. homing in on an aviation radio beam. (No longer a major navigational device.) □ The plane was on the beam and landed safely in the fog. □ I couldn’t get on the beam, and I flew right over the airfield. 2. mod. on the right course or track …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • on the beam — (informal) CORRECT, right, accurate, true, on the straight and narrow, on the right track, on the right lines; informal on the money, on the mark; Brit. informal spot on. → beam * * * phrasal : following a guiding beam : proceeding correc …   Useful english dictionary

  • on the beam — {adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. (Of an airplane) In the radio beam that marks the path to follow between airports; flying in the right direction. * /A radio signal tells the pilot of an airplane when he is flying on the beam./ 2. {slang} Doing well;… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • off the beam — phrasal : not following a guiding beam : proceeding on a wrong course : deviating from the normal or true truly off the beam and wandering in a Stygian darkness Peggy Bennett * * * off the beam 1. Off the course shown by a radio beam 2. Off the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • off the beam — {adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. (Of an airplane) Not in the radio beam that marks the path to follow between airports; flying in the wrong direction. * /A radio signal tells the pilot of an airplane when his plane is off the beam./ 2. {slang} Wrong;… …   Dictionary of American idioms

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”