understand the assignment

English

Verb

understand the assignment (third-person singular simple present understands the assignment, present participle understanding the assignment, simple past and past participle understood the assignment)

1. (idiomatic, informal) To excel at something; to demonstrate one's skill or talent.
   • 2021 September 15, Hannah Mendelsohn, “Make GBBO-level cakes with these 5 best food processors under £100”, in Cosmopolitan‎^[1]:

     If you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher in your shared kitchen, then a) we’re jealous and b) it’s definitely worth picking a processor that you don’t have to wash up. This understood the assignment, and all its attachments fit in the bowl, meaning it won’t take up too much of your allotted cupboard space.

   • 2021 December 18, Danya Issawi, Shane O’Neill, “The Year in Stars”, in The New York Times‎^[2]:

     Lil Nas X led the charge of stars who “understood the assignment,” to use a phrase that should probably be retired in 2022. In terms of creating cultural moments, impeccably reading the room on Twitter and seeming to actually have fun with his newfound mega-stardom, no one else came close.

   • 2022 May 3, Kate Ng, “Blake Lively’s best Met Gala looks as fans praise star for ‘always understanding the assignment’”, in The Independent‎^[3]:

     Fans gushed over Lively’s outfits, with one person saying that she “singlehandedly carried the whole Met Gala this year”. / Another wrote: “Blakely Live will always understand the assignment”, while a third added: “If there’s one thing Blake Lively is gonna do, it’s serve a look at the Met Gala.”