box the compass

Idioms  

1. Make a complete turnabout or reversal, as in With a change of ownership, the editorial page boxed the compass politically, now supporting the Senator. Originally this was (and continues to be) a nautical term, meaning “repeat the 32 points of the compass in order.” In the early 1800s it began to be used figuratively.

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Example Sentences

Whenever you think you have the answer to a German problem, you have to box the compass to see how it checks with all the major forces.

From Time Magazine Archive

No one, certainly not a professional historian, would dare to box the compass of Churchill's subject matter.

From Time Magazine Archive

He said he could box the compass; he had not one about him, but that made no difference.

From The Book of the Bush Containing Many Truthful Sketches Of The Early Colonial Life Of Squatters, Whalers, Convicts, Diggers, And Others Who Left Their Native Land And Never Returned by Macfarlane, J.

He can tie knots and box the compass and say "pipe down" and everything.

From Biltmore Oswald The Diary of a Hapless Recruit by Dorgan, Dick

While I was at home I taught Harry as much as he could learn of what I may call the first principles of seamanship,—to knot and splice, and box the compass.

From The Loss of the Royal George by Petherick, Horace