Definition
English idiom – “up to speed”
This idiom means to have the latest knowledge or information about something.
How to use it ⬇️
Use get to mean becoming informed: “I need to get up to speed on this project.”
Use bring or get to mean informing someone: “Can you bring me up to speed on what I missed?”
Use keep to mean staying informed: “Let’s keep up to speed with the latest trends.”
Use be when you’re already informed: “She’s up to speed on the new rules.”
And use on + noun to show the topic: “I’m up to speed on the latest news.”
Clip 1
Friends – Season 9, Episode 11 (2002)
In this scene, Rachel, who is on maternity leave, visits her office and is feeling insecure about her role, especially because her temporary replacement Gavin has been handling things in her absence. He mentions that he is preparing a big presentation and she asks him to “get her up to speed” on it.
Rachel hasn’t been involved in the work while on maternity leave and is desperate to stay relevant. By asking Gavin to bring her up to speed, she’s seeking to catch up on the details so she can remain involved and avoid feeling like she’s being replaced.
Clip 2
Breaking Bad – Season 5, Episode 6 (2012)
In this scene, Walt tells Mike, “I trust that you will bring Jesse up to your speed on your side of the business.” Mike, who is handling the distribution side of the drug operation, wants out of the business, and Walt plans to have Jesse take over that role.
Walt wants Mike to inform Jesse about the distribution network so that Jesse can take over Mike’s role. The verb “bring” being used with “up to speed” here means to update or inform someone so Walt wants Jesse to be fully aware and ready to manage that side of the operation.
Clip 3
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
In this scene, Superman addresses the rest of the heroes, saying, “Some of you already know what this is about, but I wanted to get the new members up to speed.” He’s referring to a critical mission the team is about to embark on against the villain Darkseid, and the “new members” are those who haven’t been involved in the previous events or battles.
Superman uses the phrase to ensure the new members are informed about the situation, bringing them up to the same level of knowledge as the others so they can contribute effectively to the mission.
Clip 4
Making Spirits Bright – (2021)
In this scene, Grace says, “Oh, well, I guess everyone is up to speed on all the family secrets,” it is revealed that her mom has been secretly spending time with Bill Ryan’s wife, despite Frank Scotto (Grace’s dad) and Bill being bitter rivals as business owners. The wives, who are secretly friends, even go on vacations together behind their husbands’ backs, adding humour and irony to the long-standing feud between Frank and Bill.
Grace uses the phrase to acknowledge that everyone now knows about the hidden friendship between her mom and Bill’s wife.