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.

See also: boat, miss

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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.

See also: boat, miss

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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.

See also: boat, miss