n.
a symmetrical curve representing the normal distribution

behind the curve Idiom, Proverb

throw a curve

confuse, deceive, surprise Dad threw a curve at me when he asked if he could borrow $1000.

throw sb a curve

Idiom(s): throw sb a curve

Theme: CONFUSION

to confuse someone by doing something unexpected.
• When you said "house" you threw me a curve. The password was supposed to be "home."
• John threw me a curve when we were making our presentation, and I forgot my speech.

pitch sb a curveball

Idiom(s): pitch sb a curve(ball)

Theme: SURPRISE

to surprise someone with an unexpected act or event. (Informal. Referring to a curveball in baseball. It is the route of the ball that is curved, not the ball itself.)
• You really pitched me a curveball when you said I had done a poor job. I did my best.
• You asked Tom a hard question. You certainly pitched him a curve.

Curve ball

(USA) If something is a curve ball, it is deceptive.

pitch a curve|a curve ball|ball|curve|curve ball|p

v. phr. To catch someone unawares; confront someone with an unexpected event or act. My professor pitched me a curve ball when he unexpectedly confronted me with a complicated mathematical equation that was way over my head.

throw a curve|curve|throw

v. phr., slang, informal 1. To mislead or deceive someone; to lie. John threw me a curve about the hiring. 2. To take someone by surprise in an unpleasant way. Mr. Weiner's announcement threw the whole company a curve.

curve

curve
see throw a curve.

behind the curve

Not up to date or accepted in some area. Often said of politicians. Can you accept he fabricated that sexist acknowledgment about women in the workplace? Wow, he's absolutely abaft the curve!Learn more: behind, curve

behind (or advanced of) the curve

abaft (or in beforehand of) the accepted trend. The announcement is apparently based on the angle of the curve of a graph. 2005 Stylus Magazine Everyone knows the cultural average – the Japanese are hopelessly, adorably abaft the ambit back it comes to Western music styles. Learn more: behind, curve

ahead of/behind the ˈcurve

(especially American English, business) in beforehand of or abaft a accurate trend: Our able admonition will advice you break advanced of the curve. ♢ We’ve collapsed abaft the ambit back it comes to application the Internet.Learn more: ahead, behind, curve, of

behind the curve

Slow to acknowledge to alteration conditions. Criticizing the Obama administration’s affairs to activate the abridgement as too modest, the economist Paul Krugman wrote, “. . . the plan was too baby and too cautious. The latest abstracts . . . advance that the Obama administration’s bread-and-butter behavior are already falling abaft the curve” (New York Times, March 8, 2009). Learn added ahead of the curve.Learn more: behind, curve

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More Idioms/Phrases

curry curse curtain curtain raiser curtains for, be. curve cusp custody customer