see how the land lies
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
See whether things are propitious or otherwise; see in what state the land is that we have to travel over.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “see how the land lies” mean?
See whether things are propitious or otherwise; see in what state the land is that we have to travel over.
Is “see how the land lies” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.