The phrase “asleep at the wheel” is an idiomatic expression that refers to someone in authority neglecting their responsibilities or failing to recognize threats. It is often used to place blame after negative events and has become part of public health and safety jargon.
The phrase “asleep at the wheel” is a colloquial idiom that illustrates how sayings or idioms are often abstract versions of a literal statement; as this phrase is used figuratively, it means that someone in some position of authority has overlooked some aspect of their role or failed to recognize threats or other warning signs that could produce a negative effect. The literal meaning of the phrase refers to a driver becoming unconscious while operating a vehicle, something that is extremely dangerous and indicates poor judgment. The idiomatic version of this phrase is much more versatile and often less terrible.
It is important to note that the use of the phrase seems to indicate that a party has neglected authority or responsibility. For example, in a scenario where outside plans threaten a company or group, English speakers typically don’t say “everyone fell asleep at the wheel” but rather “(the leadership) fell asleep at the wheel”. The phrase is also often used of regulatory agencies that have a responsibility to protect a national population from various commercial or routine evils and dangers.
When a non-leadership group fails to see a threat or potentially negative event on the horizon, the speaker might say “they were asleep” or that newly aware citizens are “waking up,” but not that “fell asleep at the wheel,” as “wheel” in this idiom represents an abstraction of the physical wheel used to drive a car, pilot a boat, or maneuver another vehicle. In more dramatic terms, one might say of a community responding collectively to threat that “a sleeping giant has awoken,” indicating the speaker’s prediction that the community response will be immense and effective.
Because the phrase “asleep (or asleep) at the wheel” serves well for placing blame on various parties after a catastrophe or negative event, it has largely become part of the colloquial and idiomatic jargon around public health and safety. For example, reporters or others might often say that the municipal government “fell asleep at the wheel” by failing to anticipate storm damage, revenue shortfalls, or anything else that becomes problematic. When a financial crisis threatens a nation, critics of financial regulators will often say that these sentinels “fell asleep at the wheel.” The phrase has wide use and appeal to those who are trying to dramatize what they see as the failure of others to proactively address and deal with problems.
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