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?"
