Go over someone's head
Meaning
To be too difficult or complicated for someone to comprehend.
Origin
Originating in the 19th century, the phrase 'go over someone's head' paints a clear picture of an object or message literally soaring beyond a person's reach. Just as a physical item thrown too high cannot be caught, a concept or explanation too complex or abstract 'flies' above a listener's capacity to grasp it. This vivid metaphor succinctly captures the feeling of incomprehension, where information is present but fails to penetrate one's understanding, becoming a common idiom to describe intellectual disconnect.
Examples
- The advanced mathematics lecture went completely over my head, leaving me quite confused.
- She tried to explain the nuanced legal jargon, but much of it went over my head without prior knowledge.