le nez dans le guidon

French edit

Etymology edit

Compare English nose to the grindstone.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /lə ne dɑ̃ l(ə) ɡi.dɔ̃/

Phrase edit

le nez dans le guidon

  1. (informal, figuratively) so focused on what one's doing that one becomes unaware of one's surroundings and oblivious to anything else, that one can no longer see the bigger picture
    Synonym: la tête dans le guidon
    avoir le nez dans le guidon, être le nez dans le guidonto be so caught up in something that one can't see the wood for the trees, to lose perspective

See also edit