off the beam

Idioms  

1. Off course, on the wrong track, as in He's way off the beam with that argument. This colloquial term and its antonym, on the beam, meaning “on the right track,” allude to directing aircraft by means of radio beams. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

Bad luck struck again for Lee as one of her feet slipped off the beam on the last skill of a triple acrobatic series and she crashed hard onto the mat.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2024

But China’s Zhou Yaqin was the top qualifier for the balance beam final and Biles fell off the beam to miss out on a medal for the first time in Paris.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2024

So, like Super-K, Hyper-K will sit off the beam axis by an angle of 2.5°.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 28, 2022

A violinist who plays on a high beam, sometimes balancing on one leg, became disoriented after jumping off the beam and hit her head hard against it.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2022

I remember standing there thinking, You just fell off the beam on national TV.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles