(one's) finger on the pulse

A keen awareness of current trends and happenings. Sara really has her finger on the pulse of nightlife in the city, so I would ask her where you should have your birthday party. My daughter loves this band, so they must be "cool" right now—you know no one has their finger on the pulse quite like a 13-year-old girl. Grandma dresses so hip! She really has her finger on the pulse.

feel the pulse of (something)

To use one's intuition to identify the current mood or feeling of a person, group, or setting. Try to feel the pulse of the crowd. If they seem bored, play some more upbeat songs. Can't you feel the pulse of the room? They are not going to appreciate your risqué jokes! I did feel the pulse of the audience, and they were falling asleep! That's why I decided to scrap the last few pages of my speech.

get (someone's) pulse racing

To excite, thrill, or exhilarate someone. You could feel it in the air that the singer's performance was getting everyone's pulse racing. Her quick, sultry glances from across the room got my pulse racing. Do roller coasters really get your pulse racing? Ugh, I have no interest in rides like that.

get pulses racing

To be very thrilling, exhilarating, or exciting. You could feel it in the air that the singer's performance was getting pulses racing. She has an intense, smoldering stare that gets pulses positively racing. I can't believe we came back and won in overtime! Now that's the kind of game that gets pulses racing, woo!

have (one's) finger on the pulse

To be very aware of current trends and happenings in a particular place. Sara really has her finger on the pulse of nightlife in the city, so I would ask her where you should have your birthday party. My daughter loves this band, so they must be "cool" right now—you know no one has their finger on the pulse quite like a 13-year-old girl. Grandma dresses so hip! She really has her finger on the pulse.

keep (one's) finger on the pulse (of something)

To maintain an awareness of current trends and happenings in a particular place, situation, or environment. Sara always keeps her finger on the pulse of city's nightlife, so I would ask her where you should have your birthday party. You've got to keep your finger on the pulse if you want to remain relevant in this industry.

pulse through (someone or something)

To flow through something in a surge or throb, or a rhythmical series thereof. Electricity pulsed through the generator. Blood was pulsing through my temple as I tried to regain my breath.

quicken the/(one's) pulse

To fill one with excitement, interest, or anticipation. Few things quicken the pulse like sky diving. Unfortunately, the only thing that quickened my pulse during this movie was the beginning action sequence. The rest was a bore.

set (someone's) pulse racing

To excite, thrill, or exhilarate someone. You could feel it in the air that the singer's performance was setting everyone's pulse racing. Her quick, sultry glances from across the room set my pulse racing.

set pulses racing

To be very thrilling, exhilarating, or exciting. You could feel it in the air that the singer's performance was setting pulses racing. She has an intense, smoldering stare that sets pulses positively racing.

take (someone's or something's) pulse

1. Literally, to measure the heart rate of a person or animal in order to determine if they are alive or in good health. The doctor tried to take the poor man's pulse but declared him dead on the spot. She's taking the dog's pulse to see if he needs to go to the vet.

2. By extension, to gauge, measure, or get a sense of how well someone or something is performing, thriving, managing, coping, etc. We try to take our employees' pulse at the start of every year to see gauge the level of their morale. The analysis promises to take the economy's pulse and give clear predictions of the market's ability to grow over the next few years.

take the pulse of (something)

To sense, determine, or judge the mood, feeling, or status of a particular group, setting, or environment. Try to take the pulse of the crowd. If they seem bored, play some more upbeat songs. We've been trying to take the pulse of voters ahead of the election, and so far it has been almost exactly split down the middle between the two candidates.

See also: of, pulse, take

keep one's finger on the pulse of something

Fig. to monitor the current state of something frequently. I have to keep my finger on the pulse of the city if I want to be a good reporter. It is hard to keep your finger on the pulse of Washington, D.C., but a U.S. senator must do it.

pulse through someone or something

to flow or surge through someone or something. A jolt of electricity pulsed through Sam, causing him to jerk his hand away from the wire. They repaired the power lines and electricity began to pulse through the wires again.

take someone's pulse

to measure the frequency of the beats of a person's pulse. I can take my own pulse. The nurse took my pulse and said I was fine.

take the pulse of something

Fig. to sample or survey something to learn about its progress or state. Two executives came in to take the pulse of the local business unit.

See also: of, pulse, take

take the pulse of

Also, feel the pulse of. Try to determine the intentions or sentiments of a person or group, as in These exit polls allegedly take the pulse of the voters, but I don't believe they're very meaningful . [First half of 1600s] Also see feel out.

See also: of, pulse, take

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.

have your finger on the pulse

COMMON If you have your finger on the pulse, you know all the latest information about something or understand it very well. She had her finger on the pulse of the consumer-led Eighties generation. Note: You can also say that someone keeps their finger on the pulse if they make an effort to stay aware of new developments. It's important to keep your finger on the pulse by reading all the right magazines and newspapers. Note: People sometimes say that someone has their finger on the button. Hart is a businessman with his finger on the button. Note: Someone's pulse is the speed and force with which their blood vessels expand and contract as their heart beats. A doctor might feel a patient's pulse by pressing a finger lightly against the large artery in their wrist.

have (or keep) your finger on the pulse

be aware of all the latest news or developments.

feel (or take) the pulse of

ascertain the general mood or opinion of.

The image here is of literally determining someone's heart rate by feeling and timing the pulsation of an artery.

1994 Daily Mirror Our new Housing Monitor…will take the pulse of the housing market to keep you informed about the value of your most precious asset—your home.

have/keep your finger on the ˈpulse (of something)

know all that is happening; be aware of new developments in a particular situation: Successful politicians need to keep their finger on the pulse of the voters.

A doctor takes your pulse by putting his fingers on your wrist and counting the number of times the blood beats in a minute.

take the pulse of

To judge the mood or views of (a political electorate, for example): The politician was able to take the pulse of the grass-roots voters.

See also: of, pulse, take

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.

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