Alice Zhang
take their eye off the ball IBM took their eye off the ball and lost the contract to their competitors. What is the meaning of the idiom"take their eye off the ball", thanks.
May 23, 2015 2:59 PM
Answers · 6
2
It's a baseball idiom. In the game of baseball, a batter has to hit a fast-moving baseball with a narrow. The baseball is moving quickly and the pitcher does his best to make the path unpredictable. The first thing every kid is taught is to "keep your eye on the ball," meaning to focus attention onto the ball and not on anything else, and not get distracted. "To keep your eye on the ball" means to focus on what is important. "To take your eye off the ball" means to focus on the wrong or less important things. In business, it means getting distracted by something that shouldn't the the main goal--for example, trying to increase earnings per share instead and failing to pay attention to satisfying customers.
May 23, 2015
1
It's a sports metaphor. In any game where a ball is used, it is essential to watch the ball at all times, to "keep your eye on the ball". For example, when you play golf, you watch the ball as you swing the club and hit the ball. If you do not watch the ball, if you "take your eye off the ball", you will certainly fail.
May 23, 2015
to keep one's eye on the ball--->保持警惕, to take one's eye off the ball ----> 放松警惕
May 23, 2015
no longer look at the ball
May 23, 2015
掉以轻心
May 23, 2015
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