English, baby!

under the radar

Date: May 29 2003

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“I don’t feel like a celebrity. We’ve been able to avoid celebrity status. We’ve done our thing under the radar.”
- Eddie Vedder, singer for the band Pearl Jam, talking about the band.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

private, without attracting attention

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

People often use “under the radar” to describe something that’s done in secret. You can use it any time you want to talk about something that you’re trying to keep secret from someone else. For example, if you want to pass a note to a friend in class, you better do it “under the radar.” You wouldn’t want the teacher to see you passing it.
“Under the radar” can also be used to describe something that naturally goes unnoticed. For example, an artist’s paintings would probably remain “under the radar” unless that artist promoted his work. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the artist is trying to keep his painting a secret, but if he’s not trying to promote it, then it will probably go unnoticed.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

””My parents are asleep, so if we’re going to go back to my house we have to stay under the radar. Can you stay really quiet so they don’t wake up?”“

””Nirvana’s music stayed under the radar for a few years, but then they suddenly became one of the most popular bands in the world.”“

””Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston usually try to stay under the radar, but sometimes they go out in public and meet their fans.”“

””My girlfriend and I kept our relationship under the radar for a few weeks. We didn’t want everyone in school to know we were dating.”“

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

I am of the opinoin that the meaning of under the radar is to do something privately, in other words he doesn’t want to be famous by doing that
by kain (Taipei, Taiwan)
I guess he means they’ve done their things trying to avoid to show it in the midia. He’ve tried to hide their things.
by Antonio (Tianguá, Brazil)
I think he means that besides being a popular band they managed to keep their private lives away from the mainstream attention.
by Monika (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
means low-key, in a humble way
by Flora (Toronto, Canada)
I think “under the radar” means to do things without being checked, without someone watching you; or as we would say in mexico “debajo del agua” = “under the water”.
by ricardo (Cuernavaca, Mexico)
Like to be not seen. Invisible. I guess from an airplane flying so low the radar systems can not see it.
by Tino (Dresden, Germany)
Do thing without be noticed.
by Rodrigo (Cabo Frio, Brazil)
doing things in a hidden way, avioid being known or seen by other people
by Jing (China)
I think it is used to discribe someone do something without showing off, do something sincerely and carefully.
by Yi (Beijing , China)
To me “Under the Radar” is someone or something cannot seen, out of the range of controlling/watching by someones. An example: “Whoever is leading, it takes the spotlight right off them and that’s always a good thing. You can sneak in under the radar.”
by Mehmet Ali (Ankara-BTC, Turkey)
I think that “under the radar” is an expression used to described sth humble and peaceful.
by Khang (HCMC, Vietnam)
I think ‘under the radar’ means doing the same things as the other ordinary people do
by Tracy (Hong Kong, China)
without any pomp and show
by manoj (Delhi, India)
I think, it means unnoticed. When we do something and people don’t realize about it.
by Lizbeth (Puebla, Mexico)
Under the radar means secretly, furtively
by Tero (Jales, Brazil)
avoiding the stress, or unnoticed
by tazeen (Montreal, Canada)
when someone does something wishing not to be noticed?
by bruno (Campina Grande PB, Brazil)
I guess it means avoid to be under the watching of the public.
by Ken (Fuzhou, China)
it means” without informing any body” or secretively done
by mandeep (Hyderabad, India)
I think that it’s meaning is you cannot have any secrets, everything about you will be discovered.
by Lynn (Shijiazhuang, China)
the condition or enviroment where many people watch and care.
by nancy (shenzhen, china)
I think it means no secret, be spied by someone or public.
by j (Tianjin, P.R China)
I think “under the rador”means the conditon that interfere with other people, the situation under the sight of the people.
by Puff (SZ, China)
It means under investigation, under probings by media.
by buddy (Zhengzhou, China)
I guess it is to be like in private, and even so, under somebody else´s watch
by Rick (Canada)
I guesst this slang means one’s activities are watched over by the public and they do not have their own privacy. The medium like tabloid etc, are keeping trying to trace these celebrities like radar all the time and offer the stuff that they think can have the public’s attention and interest.
by Sherry (ShenZhen, China)
Under the radar “I guess that means under the control of themselves or do something that was already planned
by Noot (Bangkok, Thailand)
I guess, it’s something like, we do the thinks because we like, and we don’t mind what the people think about it.
by Luciana (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Simply being watched, kept track and admired by public…
by vedatgirgin (Istanbul, Turkey)
It just means that people watch and observe the celebrity around the clock
by beyhan (Istanbul, Turkey)
I think it means being seen by another person or a facility radar.
by alex a. (Miami, USA)