know the score

Idioms and Phrases

Also, know what's what . Understand what is happening; be familiar with the real story or the full situation. For example, It will take the new legislators some time to know the score , or When it comes to teaching youngsters to read, Nell knows what's what . The first expression, dating from about 1930, alludes to score as a tally of points in a game. The variant dates from about 1400.