get a grip on (something)

1. Literally, to secure a strong physical hold on something. We've got to remove that bolt, so get a grip on the wrench and turn it as hard as you can! Make sure you've got a grip on your end of the couch before we try to lift it. That guitar is heavier than you think, so make sure you get a grip on the handle before you lift the case.

2. To get control over something. The government is finally getting a grip on the economy following the turbulence caused by the financial crisis. If we don't get a grip on our spending, the company is going to be bankrupt by the end of the year! You need to get a grip on your kids' behavior. We can't have them screaming in our library!

3. To have a newfound understanding of a topic or concept. I don't know how I'm going to get a grip on all this material before my final exam. I might need to hire a tutor! Once I got a grip on how to operate the new system, I found that it made my job much easier. Woo! I think I've finally gotten a grip on polynomials!

get a grip on

Also, have a grip on. Obtain mastery or control over something or someone. For example, Get a grip on yourself or the reporters will give you a hard time, or, as Arthur Conan Doyle put it in Sherlock Holmes (1894): "I have a grip on the essential facts of the case." This expression transfers a firm physical hold to emotional or intellectual control. [Late 1800s]

get a grip on something

COMMON If you get a grip on a difficult situation, you start to understand it and take control of it. So far the country has failed to get a grip on its inflation rate. Note: You can also say that you take a grip on a situation with the same meaning. It is clear that the new leader has taken a grip on the party machine. Note: You can say that you keep a grip on a situation, meaning that you continue to understand and control it. Somehow, this corrupt band of politicians have managed to keep a grip on power.