enter one's mind
enter (one's) mind
To occur to one suddenly. After that idea entered my mind, I was able to alter the experiment and finally achieve some success.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
enter one's mind
Also, enter one's head. Occur to one, come into one's consciousness. This expression is most often used negatively, as in It didn't enter my mind that he'd want to join us, or Run for office? It never entered my head.
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.