off the track

Idioms and Phrases

Away from one's objective, train of thought, or a sequence of events, It is often put as get or put or throw off the track , as in Your question has gotten me off the track , or The interruption threw Mom off the track and she forgot what she'd already put into the stew . This term comes from railroading, where it means “derailed.” Its figurative use was first recorded in 1875.