enter (one's) mind
To occur to one suddenly. After that idea entered my mind, I was able to alter the experiment and finally achieve some success. Once I pulled up to the bank, it entered my mind that I had forgotten my wallet. Come on, you can't just sit around waiting for a breakthrough to enter your mind. Get back to work!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
enter one's mind
Fig. [for an idea or memory] to come into one's consciousness; to be thought of. Leave you behind? The thought never even entered my mind. A very interesting idea just entered my mind. What if I ran for Congress?
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
enter one's mind
Also, enter one's head. Occur to one, come into one's consciousness. This expression is most often used negatively, as in It didn't enter my mind that he'd want to join us, or Run for office? It never entered my head.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.