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?"
