Idiom
Etymology:
Of Native American origin it describes the inability of a person to successfully walk through tall grass. Before colonization the great plains of North American were covered with large sections of tall grasses. Instead of going around acres of tall grass,
people could
walk straight through them.
The implication is that a capable adult is both tall enough to see above shoulder height tall grass and wise enough to navigate and form a path through tall grass that is above their
head.
Children and
people that are not intelligent will get lost in the tall grass and need help to get out or even
die.
Usually applied to a person, but could apply to a thing.
Similar to: If you can't handle the heat get out of the kitchen, shape up or ship out
1: transitive, present tense
a: Describing a person that cannot handle the situation they are in.
b: Describing a person that is not intelligent enough to figure out
something that others easily can.
2: rhetorical question
Implying that the person being asked is not keeping up with the group or not able to handle the task they were given.
1a: "
Jim can't walk in the tall grass. He got promoted to sergeant and just took a month long stress leave"
1b: "I've been training the new hire for a week now and she still can't figure out how to clock in.....she can't walk in the tall grass."
2: "Hey
Ron,
Jim was late and installed the wiring for 2 rooms today but you were here all day and barely got half of
one done. Can't walk in the tall grass?"
