Oversight is an essential function in any organization, ensuring that rules are followed and standards are maintained. However, the concept also permeates everyday life and conversation, where numerous expressions highlight the importance of supervision, mistakes, or neglect. In this blog post, we explore 20 common expressions related to oversight. These phrases will help you articulate scenarios involving supervision or the lack thereof, whether in professional settings or daily interactions.
Expressions Related to Oversight
1. Slip Through the Cracks
Meaning: To be overlooked or missed.
Example: Some errors slipped through the cracks during the audit.
2. Fall on Deaf Ears
Meaning: To be ignored or not listened to.
Example: His complaints about oversight fell on deaf ears.
3. Turn a Blind Eye
Meaning: To ignore something deliberately.
Example: The manager turned a blind eye to the misconduct.
4. Keep an Eye On
Meaning: To watch or monitor carefully.
Example: Keep an eye on the new trainees.
5. Overlook
Meaning: To fail to notice something.
Example: She overlooked a critical detail in the contract.
6. Under the Radar
Meaning: Not detected or noticed.
Example: The project flew under the radar for months.
7. Keep Tabs On
Meaning: To monitor someone’s activities or a situation closely.
Example: He kept tabs on the budget expenditures.
8. Watch Over
Meaning: To guard or supervise.
Example: She watches over the team’s progress.
9. Look the Other Way
Meaning: To ignore something wrong or illegal intentionally.
Example: They looked the other way when the rules were broken.
10. Miss the Boat
Meaning: To miss an opportunity because of slow response or not paying attention.
Example: He missed the boat on that investment.
11. Drop the Ball
Meaning: To make a mistake or fail at a responsibility.
Example: He dropped the ball on that project deadline.
12. In the Dark
Meaning: Uninformed or unaware.
Example: They kept her in the dark about the changes.
13. Leave Unchecked
Meaning: Not monitored or controlled.
Example: Problems left unchecked tend to worsen.
14. Out of the Loop
Meaning: Not informed or included in communication.
Example: I was out of the loop about the meeting.
15. Turn the Blind Eye
Meaning: To ignore deliberately, similar to “turn a blind eye”.
Example: She turned the blind eye to the errors in the report.
16. Fly Under the Radar
Meaning: To go unnoticed or undetected.
Example: The issue flew under the radar until it was too late.
17. Give Carte Blanche
Meaning: To allow full discretionary power.
Example: He was given carte blanche over the project.
18. Sweep Under the Rug
Meaning: To hide or ignore a problem or information deliberately.
Example: They swept the incident under the rug.
19. Pass the Buck
Meaning: To shift responsibility to someone else.
Example: He always tries to pass the buck when there’s a problem.
20. Leave No Stone Unturned
Meaning: To look everywhere; miss nothing in a search.
Example: The review was thorough, leaving no stone unturned.
