"to lose the edge"

[Mehrgan]

Hi,

Any idea about this idiom?

The context is: "I'm holding too tight and I've lost the edge I think..."


Ta!

[bhaisahab]

Hi,

Any idea about this idiom?

The context is: "I'm holding too tight and I've lost the edge I think..."


Ta!

Do you have a bit more context?

[Mehrgan]

Do you have a bit more context?

Yes...a pilot gets badly panicked after being engaged by an enemy fighter, so afterwards goes to his commander to tell him he wants to quit...Thanks dear bhaisahab...

[jamiep]

Hi,

Any idea about this idiom?

The context is: "I'm holding too tight and I've lost the edge I think..."


Ta!

Is this a quote from the movie "Top Gun"?

If so, the context is that the character is a Naval fighter pilot and this, of course, is a highly stressful job.

The quote means that this stress has become too much and he can't cope any more.

[jamiep]

To add some information, if the pilot is too relaxed it would be a bad thing too. He must have an amount of stress, tension to keep him alert.

Knowing where the edge is means that he can cope with the right amount of tension.

[Raymott]

I believe that "the edge" in this idiom means "the advantage", as in the following definition:
Definition of edge noun (ADVANTAGE) from Cambridge Dictionary Online: Free English Dictionary and Thesaurus

In this context, it means he's lost the advantage over his opponent.
Successful people are ones that have a certain edge over others.
I used to be a cop, but when I lost the edge (over the crims), I knew I had to quit.
When you no longer have an edge, you've lost it.