get the message

1. Also, get the picture. Understand or infer the real import or substance of something. For example, He gestured to the waiter, who got the message and brought the bill, or Kate got the picture and decided to keep her mouth shut about the error. [Mid-1900s] Also see get it.

Related Words

• appreciate 
• comprehend 
• distinguish 
• feel 
• grasp 
• know 
• read 
• realize 
• recognize 
• see