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in the groove

prep_phrase

Etymology

Originally slang that first appeared in the mid-19th century with a (usually pejorative) reference to the difficulty of leaving a well-worn rut (see in a rut). As back in the groove, the phrase acquired a positive sense of returning to one's usual self after a period of illness, setbacks, etc. With special regard for music, originally US jazz slang from the 1920s, possibly with reference to the grooves of early records.

Definitions

  1. Running or performing extremely smoothly.

  2. Playing perfectly, perfectly in sync with others, or with perfect focus.

    • The jazz musicians gave no grandstand performances; they simply got a great burn from playing in the groove.

  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically

    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, groove.

    • The whole course of legislation... had flowed in the same groove for centuries.
    • […] having such a wonderful time which puts me in a groove […]
    • There's a time in everybody's life when they know precisely what is right. And when I was doing that, when I was in the groove, I knew exactly what was right.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for in the groove. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA