IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishslow off the mark
Meaning: Slow to understand or react.
Example: “The defense was slow off the mark and conceded in the first minute.”
Origin: From racing, where the "mark" is the starting line. A runner who reacts late to the starting signal is slow off the mark. The figurative sense of being slow to understand or act is recorded from the early 20th century.
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