be in the loop

To be informed about or involved in something, such as a plan or project, especially that which involves or pertains to a specific group. We've hired a new intern to help you with data entry, so she needs to be in the loop about the project too. I'd like some time to review for the board meeting, as I haven't been in the loop for the last three weeks. I'm afraid I'm not in the loop on this project. Can you bring me up to speed?

See also: loop

be kept in the loop

To be kept informed about and/or involved in something, such as a plan or project, especially that which involves or pertains to a specific group. We've hired a new intern to help you with the data entry portion of the study, so be sure she's kept in the loop. I'd like some time to review for the board meeting, as I haven't been kept in the loop for the last three weeks. I don't need to be kept in the loop on this—I trust your judgment.

close the loop

1. business cliché To follow up on some outstanding task, activity, or issue to ensure that it is completed, resolved, or on track. I really need to get better about closing the loop. I've got so many different unresolved issues and I'm making very little progress on any of them! As a project manager, one of your roles is to help close the loop during development. Hey, call Stan in Accounting so we can close the loop on the budget projections.

2. To ensure that recycled material is being used in place of new or raw material, which then goes on to be recycled again. Our company is committed to closing the loop on plastic. We use 100% recycled plastic to make all our bottles, which themselves are 100% recyclable. Our environmental problems will only worsen if more companies don't make an effort to close the loop. If major producers in the area closed the loop, how much would that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases?

fruit loop

slang Someone prone to behaving in a clumsy, cloddish manner. Of course he broke the vase—that guy is such a fruit loop. Don't let that fruit loop move the tray of plates, he's liable to drop it! Yeah, I can't really see a fruit loop like Alvin in a ballet class!

fruitcake

1. A spice cake containing fruit and nuts. Often used as a humorous reference because it is often deemed unappetizing. Just give me a minute to cut up the fruitcake. Need a doorstop? Try this fruitcake! Mom, do not bring them fruitcake. Nobody actually wants to get fruitcake for Christmas.

2. slang Someone who is odd or wacky. What conspiracy theory is that old fruitcake blathering on about now? You can't tell people you want to start a business selling bees as pets—they'll think you're a fruitcake! I know some of my students think I'm a total fruitcake because of my weird methods.

3. offensive slang A derogatory term for a male who is homosexual or otherwise non-heterosexual or considered effeminate.

in the loop

Informed or actively participating in something, such as an ongoing discussion or project, typically involving many people. Please keep Sarah in the loop so she can continue to advise us on the legal ramifications. I'm afraid I haven't been in the loop on this project. Can you bring me up to speed? I'd like some time to prepare for the board meeting, as I haven't been in the loop for the last three weeks.

See also: loop

keep (someone) in the loop

To keep someone informed about and/or involved in something, such as a plan or project, especially that which involves or pertains to a specific group. We've hired a new intern to help you with data entry, so be sure to keep her in the loop about the project.

knock (one) for a loop

To shock, surprise, astonish, or bewilder one, especially in a distressing or upsetting manner. I know the death of his mother really knocked Tom for a loop. It knocked everyone in the company for a loop when Olivia announced that she was leaving.

loop back around (to something or some place)

1. To return to some place in or as if in a circular path. A: "I'm going to stay here and see if I can find a new yoga mat." B: "OK, I want to go look at kitchen stuff, so I'll do that and then loop back around in a bit." A: "Shoot, I forgot my phone." B: "No problem, I'll just loop back around to the house."

2. To revisit or return to an idea or topic of conversation. A: "Wait, is that all that's new with mandatory overtime?" B: "I'll loop back around to that in a bit—let me just cover the changes to the sick time policy first." I like that idea, Frank. Let's put a pin in it for now and loop back around again at the end of the meeting.

loop in

To make or keep one informed about something, such as a plan or project. A noun or pronoun can be used between "loop" and "in." We've hired a new intern to help you with data entry, so be sure to loop her in about the current project. I'll need to go loop in the rest of the team regarding these changes.

See also: loop

loop the loop

1. noun A flight maneuver in which an aircraft flies in a complete vertical circle. (Usually hyphenated.) I loved going to air shows as a kid, and I always dreamed of doing loop-the-loops in an airplane when I grew up.

2. verb To fly an aircraft in a complete vertical circle. I thought I was going to throw up when the pilot looped the loop with our little biplane.

See also: loop

loop-legged

slang Severely intoxicated with drugs or alcohol. We all got pretty loop-legged at the staff party, so no one was feeling particularly productive in the office the next day. Jenny must have taken something at the party, because she is acting totally loop-legged.

out of the loop

Not privy to the most up-to-date information. I'm sorry, what is this we're discussing? I'm a little out of the loop. They tried to keep the boss out of the loop about their scheme, but she found out about it anyway.

See also: loop, of, out

throw (one) for a loop

To shock, surprise, astonish, or bewilder one. The end of that trick always throws the audience for a loop. I love watching their faces as they desperately try to figure it out. It really threw Stu for a loop when Olivia announced she was leaving the company.

in the loop

Fig. in the group of persons communicating regularly about a specific plan or project. I don't know what's going on with the Jones deal since I'm not in the loop. Bob and Jean are in the loop. They can tell you what's happening.

See also: loop

knock someone for a loop

1. Fig. to strike someone hard. You really knocked me for a loop. I hope that was an accident. DI was really knocked for a loop by the falling branch.

2. and throw someone for a loop Fig. to confuse or shock someone. (This is more severe and upsetting than throw someone a curve.) When Bill heard the news, it threw him for a loop. The manager knocked Bob for a loop by firing him on the spot.

in the loop

Provided with information and included in a decision-making process. For example, She's new to the board, but be sure to keep her in the loop. This expression uses loop in the sense of "a circle of individuals among whom information or responsibility circulates." The antonym out of the loop, meaning "left out of such a circle," dates from the same period. For example, The chairman was consistently leaving Chris out of the loop. [1970s]

See also: loop

knock for a loop

Also, throw for a loop; knock down or over with a feather ; knock sideways. Overcome with surprise or astonishment, as in The news of his death knocked me for a loop, or Being fired without any warning threw me for a loop, or Jane was knocked sideways when she found out she won. The first two of these hyperbolic colloquial usages, dating from the first half of the 1900s, allude to the comic-strip image of a person pushed hard enough to roll over in the shape of a loop. The third hyperbolic term, often put as You could have knocked me down with a feather, intimating that something so light as a feather could knock one down, dates from the early 1800s; the fourth was first recorded in 1925.

out of the loop

see under in the loop.

See also: loop, of, out

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.

in the loop

COMMON If someone is in the loop, they are part of a group of people who have information about a particular thing. The vice president was almost certainly in the loop. In future we must ensure that the Congress is fully in the loop. Note: If someone is out of the loop, they do not make or know about important decisions. He is out of the inner loop, and not happy about it.

See also: loop

throw someone for a loop

knock someone for a loop

AMERICAN, INFORMAL

If someone or something throws you for a loop or knocks you for a loop, they shock you or surprise you very much. If Kravis's offer had thrown him for a loop, Johnson wasn't letting it show. She was wearing a top hat, the sight of which knocked Jamie for a loop.

in (or out of) the loop

aware (or unaware) of information known to only a limited number of people. informal

1998 Times An insider suggests to a favoured, helpful journalist that the said minister is out of the loop and on the skids.

See also: loop

throw (or knock) someone for a loop

surprise or astonish someone; catch someone off guard. North American

be in the ˈloop

be out of the ˈloop

(informal, especially American English) be part of a group of people that is dealing with something important; not be part of this group: A lot of people want to be in the loop on this operation. ♢ Lawton had gradually been cut out of the information loop.

See also: loop

knock/throw somebody for a ˈloop

(American English, informal) shock or surprise somebody: The result of the election knocked most people for a loop.

See also: for, knock, loop, somebody, throw

ˌloop the ˈloop

fly or make a plane fly in a circle going up and down: The plane looped the loop then disappeared into the distance.

See also: loop

fruitcake

1. n. a silly-acting person. (Also a term of address.) You can be such a silly fruitcake sometimes.

2. n. a male homosexual. (Rude and derogatory. An elaboration of fruit.) We went into this bar, but it was filled with fruitcakes, so we left.

3. and fruit loop n. a foolish oaf. (Someone who is as nutty as a fruitcake. Fruit loop is borrowed from the cereal of the same [protected trade] name.) What a fruitcake! Doesn’t even know where his head is at. Out of the way, fruit loop.

fruit loop

verb

See fruitcake

loop-legged

mod. alcohol intoxicated. She has this strange tendency to get a little loop-legged when she has four or five drinks.

throw someone for a loop

tv. to confuse or surprise someone. Don’t let this question throw you for a loop.

in the loop

Part of a group that is kept up-to-date with information about something: knew about the merger because she's in the loop.

See also: loop

out of the loop

Not part of a group that is kept up-to-date with information about something.

See also: loop, of, out

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

in/out of the loop

Privy to information and included in making a decision, or not. The “loop” referred to is a group of persons among whom information circulates and who make decisions. Dating from the 1970s, these terms are frequently used in a business context. A New York Times headline about women not being included read “Out of the Loop in Silicon Valley” (April 19, 2010). Or, “He’s new to the job so please be sure to keep him in the loop.” An earlier synonym for the positive phrase is in the know, meaning privy to special information and dating from the late nineteenth century.

See also: loop, of, out

See also: