off (the) track
off (the) track
1. Inaccurate, irrelevant, or unrelated. I appreciate your concerns, but I think they're a bit off track.
2. Straying from the central topic, issue, or subject at hand. Sorry, I started talking about surfing and got off the track. You're off the track again, Mom. Try to finish the story.
3. Not faithful to or distracted from a central principle, goal, mission, etc. Somewhere along the lines, our organization got off track from what we have always striven to achieve. We are going to fix that, starting now. We wanted to have the product released by the early spring, but we got off track with a number of technical issues.
off the track
1. Go to off the (beaten) track.
2. Fig. [of comments] irrelevant and immaterial. I'm afraid you're off the track, John. Try again. I'm sorry. I was thinking about dinner, and I got off the track.
off the track
Away from one's objective, train of thought, or a sequence of events, It is often put as get or put or throw off the track , as in Your question has gotten me off the track, or The interruption threw Mom off the track and she forgot what she'd already put into the stew . This term comes from railroading, where it means "derailed." Its figurative use was first recorded in 1875.
off the track
mod. not on a productive course; following the wrong lead. You are off the track just a little. Let me help you.