Watching brief

The meaning of the phrase

Instructions given to someone to observe a situation.

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Gary Martin

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Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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A list of phrases about crime and the law

Editorial accuracy

Every entry on this site is researched, written, and reviewed by a named editor. Send a correction or an observation: missing citations, earlier printed uses, and first-hand anecdotes are all welcome. Accepted submissions are published on the page under Reader notes, attributed to you.

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Watching brief

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