go off at a tangent
Abruptly change subjects
To go off at a tangent is to suddenly change direction in conversation or thought, veering away from the main subject to pursue something only loosely connected: We were discussing the budget, but she went off at a tangent about her vacation plans.
The phrase comes from geometry, where a tangent line touches a curve at one point then departs.
Also *go off on a tangent*.
- digressStray from the topic
- change the subjectShift discussion elsewhere
- strayWander from course
- deviateTurn from course
- swerveAbrupt directional change
sidetrack · lose the plot · tangentiality · diverge · irrelevance · rambling · train of thought · shift · wander · nonlinearity · non sequitur · drift · detouring · wild goose chase · veering · distraction · meandering · derailment
go off at a tangentstay focused
Maintain mental concentration
get to the point · cut to the chase · stay the course · hold the line · stay in one's lane
go off at a tangentstay the course
Continue despite difficulties
follow through · keep one's eye on the ball · home in · zero in · persevere