Lost The Plot Meaning, Origin & Examples

Lost the plot meaning and the clear usage of the phrase in a sentence. Also provide some lost the plot examples in a sentence. Lost the plot origin.

Lost The Plot 

"Lost The Plot" is a British etymological phrase that is used idiomatically to refer to situations when someone is confused or has lost his concentration. In other words, "Lost The Plot" is used to describe a stage of confusion or lack of concentration.

Lost The Plot Meaning

According to Wikitionary, the word "Lost The Plot, when used figuratively or idiomatically means:

Figurative: To cease to behave in a consistent and/or rational manner.

Idiomatic: To lose sight of an important objective or principle; to act contrarily to one's own interests through concentrating on relatively unimportant matters.

The Oxford Dictionary also gave Lost The Plot meaning as

 “to lose one’s ability to understand or cope with events; to lose one’s touch; to go off the rails.”

A 17th century citation attached to the phrase gives a more clarification to its usage.— “Arabella Pollen showed sharp linens, lost the plot in a sarong skirt and brought out curvaceous racing silk and a show-stopping bow-legged Willie Carson.”

 

Lost The Plot Origin

The first appearance of the phrase in New York Times was in 1998. 

Although the phrase is mostly used in British, however there has been some doubt about the phrase "Lost The Plot" origin. It was claimed in a 1994 article written in the American Scholar that the phrase originated from Australia. This however, is without apparent validity due to the fact that a chart clearly shown in Google Ngram Viewer Chart shows that the phrase "Lost The Plot" is mostly used in the U.K.

Lost The Plot Examples

Jane stared blankly at the sheet on his desk while the teacher walks around. He seems to have lost the Plot.


The teams apparently have lost the plot on the field, as they played like a stranger in a strange land.

Lost The Plot Synonyms

The following are examples of lost the plot synonyms:

1. Lose it
2. Fly off the handle
3. Go crook
4. Go ape
5. Have a fit
6. Go mad
7. Lose your temper