Right on track

"Hello, this is Larry, who am I speaking to?"

Sut mae, Larry!

Umm, what? Sorry? Who is this?

Sut Mae, Larry, Lex dw I!!

"I‘m really sorry, I didn’t quite catch that, there seems to be some interference on the line."

Larry, it’s me, Lex!

"Lex! What on earth was that language you were speaking? Was it Mandarin?"

No!

"Japanese?"

No! You’re miles away - completely on the wrong track. It’s Welsh, Larry!

"Oooh! What did you say?"

• sut mae - pronounced shu-my is a greeting which means how are things"
• dw i - pronounced - do-ee - means it's me/my name is"

"wow, that's interesting "

Yes - anyway, greetings from sunny Swansea in South Wales.

"Ohhhhhh, yes! Now I remember. Are you on the train, then?"

No, not at the moment, we‘re at a campsite. Why do you ask?

"Oh, it’s just that you said something about the wrong track…“

Ahh, I see, that just means that your guess wasn’t right.

"Oh, that’s new to me. How else do you use it?"

Well, generally speaking, when someone or something is following the wrong course or going in the wrong direction.

"Like my guesses??" ??

Yes! Or, for example, if a discussion moves away from the topic you want to talk about and becomes less focused you could say " I think we are getting on the wrong track here"

"Can you also use on the right track, Lex?"

Yes, absolutely, Larry.

"So, if I had guessed Scottish or Irish, for example, then I would have been on the right track, as I was generally going in the right direction?"

Yes, spot on, Larry. Whenever you are progressing in a way that is likely to result in success.

So, you could say:

• A team that works together well is on the right track to success. "Am I on the right track with my English, Lex?"

You are definitely on the right track, Larry. Right on track!

"That’s great to hear, Lex. But is right on track exactly the same as on the right track?

Good question, Larry. Not quite.

You especially use (right) on track to talk about schedules, timelines and progress, for example:

• The project is on track (at the stage it should be to finish on time)
• We are on track to finish by Friday
• Sales figures are on track to hit our monthly targets (at the right stage to hit the goal we hope for).

"Got it, Lex.

Anyway, how did we end up talking about tracks? Oh yes - we were talking about the trains!"

Yes, Larry, so, let’s get back on track ?? - what did you want to know?

"Were the trains on time? And how was the weather?"

Amazingly enough, according to the weather forecast we‘re right on track to have 3 days of beautiful sunshine.

"Perfect weather for camping, Lex! And the trains? Are they on time?"

Well, believe it or not, Larry, all the trains in the UK were on time!

"You’re kidding - I thought trains running late was par for the course in the UK?"

Yes, so did I, but luckily enough, we haven’t had one late train….yet ??

"And how is the camping experience so far?"

Wonderful, Larry, it’s so nice to be out in the Welsh countryside, off the beaten track.

Keep track

"There it is again, Lex! Off the beaten track - so that means you’re away from the touristy areas, right?"

Spot on, Larry! Out in the middle of nowhere in Wales!

"But aren’t you missing the start of the football season? I know you’re a big fan."

That’s very true, Larry, but I can keep track of the sports news on the radio.

"Ah-ha! Keep track of something! So that means you’re following the progress, right?"

You‘re a quick learner, Larry!

"What else can you keep track of, Lex?"

Well, there are a lot of things! For example:

• You can keep track of time in a meeting
• You can use an app to keep track of your fitness.
• And controllers keep track of finances, performance, results…

"Wow, that’s a lot."

Well, Larry, you have an excellent track record with learning - I think you’ll be fine.

That sounds like a compliment, Lex! Track record?

Yes, it is! A track record is the past achievements of a person, organisation or a product.

For example:

• J.K. Rowling has a proven track record as an author, with the Harry Potter series becoming one of the best
• Serena Williams has an unparalleled track record in tennis, with 23 Grand Slam singles titles

I think I have to write these expressions down, Lex, So I don’t lose track ???

Fast track

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