I have only recently encountered "to be across", meaning "to understand fully". I have long been familiar with "to get across", of course.
It seems to be the recipient that corresponds to the giver of understanding (and it seems odd now that I think of it that "get" is the giver).
Is there a geographical or cultural context for the former that might explain why I have never heard it until now and why it has sounds odd to me?
The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms defines "to be across something" as
fully understand the details or complexity of an issue or situation
and lists its origin as Australian.
I read it to mean that your mind fully spans or encompasses the details and ramifications of an issue, but the phrasing does have an Aussie flavor to it.
Never heard that stateside. And I've met a lot of Aussies/Brits in NY... as well as a lot of ESL learners who masterfully learned British English. If you were to tell me you were across something, I would probably be very confused and think of you somehow splayed across it.
However, to be all over something (say, a project) or on top of something (prep work; training; reading; subject matter)... or up on (up to date with the state of affairs regarding) some subject matter, are all similar. So I would probably ask you to clarify.
I think it's entered UK language as business jargon, like 'going forward' etc. My boss says it constantly and it annoys me immensely! Just say 'do you understand?' or 'do you have it covered?' FFS!!!!
I am a 66 year old Australian and university educated. The first time I heard this expression, I was in my mid 40’s. The person using it was amazed that I’d never heard it. They were not originally from Melbourne or Victoria, like me, so I’m wondering if the expression came from another part of Australia, possibly further north. For example, Queenslanders call suitcases ‘ports’. And they call the evening meal ‘dinner’ whereas we in Victoria use the term ‘tea’ for the evening meal, and ‘lunch’ for the midday meal,and seldom use the word ‘dinner’. There are many other (minor) differences in language usage between different Australian states. But this expression definitely did not originate from Victoria.
