handle on

handle on

1. A good physical hold on something. Make sure you've got a handle on your end of the couch before we try to lift it. In order to remove the bolt, I needed to get a handle on the wrench. This box is so bulky that I can't get a handle on it.

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

See also: handle, on

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

*a handle on something

Fig. a means of understanding something; an aid to understanding something. (*Typically: get ~ have ~ give someone ~.) Let me try to get a handle on this. Now that I have a handle on the concept, I can begin to understand it.

See also: handle, on

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.