off the track

off the track

English

Prepositional phrase

off the track

1. Derailed, of a railway carriage, etc.
2. Away from the proper subject; irrelevant, unrelated.
3. Not on right course; inaccurate.
   • 1976, Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift, New York: Avon, →ISBN, page 6:

     As for great men and kings being History's slaves, I think Tolstoi was off the track. Don't kid youself, kings are the most sublime sick. Manic Depressive heroes pull Mankind into their cycles and carry everybody away.

Translations

derailed

Finnish: raiteiltaan, suistunut kiskoilta

away from the proper subject; irrelevant, unrelated

Finnish: asian vierestä (away from the topic); puuta heinää (fi) (irrelevant)

not on right course; inaccurate

Finnish: hukassa (lost); väärässä (fi) (wrong); metsässä, epätäsmällinen (inaccurate)