Tangent meaning in English

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Definition

a tangent: a line, curve, or surface touching but not intersecting another noun

(...but) I've gone off on a tangent!: (...but) I digress, I've gone off on a different line of thought, I've strayed from the topic idiom

Examples

"I've gone off on a tangent, haven't I?"

Exercise 1

Donna tells Icarus "I have gone off on a tangent".

What does she mean by this?

There may be more than one correct answer!

She has said something unrelated to the original topic of conversation.

She has lost track of the time.

She has escaped on a three-wheeled bicycle.

Donna tells Icarus "I have gone off on a tangent".

What does she mean by this?

There may be more than one correct answer!

She has said something unrelated to the original topic of conversation.

This is the correct choice. "To go off on a tangent" is to re-direct the conversation to a subject that is off topic or unrelated to the original subject of conversation. Often, it is unintentional. In the dialogue, Donna asks a question about Icarus, but quickly becomes distracted and mentions things about her own personal situation. Although Donna began her statement referring to Icarus, she quickly "goes off on a tangent" when she reminisces about what she could have done with her own life.

She has lost track of the time.

This is an incorrect choice. The expression "to go off on a tangent does not refer to 'losing track of time", which means to forget or neglect the hour or the schedule. Example: Cinderella was so distracted by Prince Charming that she lost track of the time and her dress turned back into rags.

She has escaped on a three-wheeled bicycle.

This is an incorrect choice, although I do respect your imagination.

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