[Idiom] late in the game

[Saki6]

https://youtu.be/YWsh4k1GEZQ
In this YouTube video, Judy said, "... I'm a little bit late to the game ..."

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/late_in_the_game
Do "late to the game" and "late in the game" mean the same thing and have the same usage?

 

[J&K Tutoring]

I did not watch the video.

"Late to the game" means you came in after the thing referenced had already started, so you don't know what's going on.

"Late in the game" means the activity has been going in a certain direction, and it is too late to make significant changes.
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[Charlie Bernstein]

Exactly. She's using "late to the game" figuratively. The holiday has already gone by, so listeners won't be able to use the greeting for almost a year.

 

[Saki6]

I'm wondering if she should have said, "... I'm a little bit late in the game ..."

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'm wondering if she should have said, "... I'm a little bit late in the game ..."

It's possible but a little awkward. Her phrasing is good: conversational, contemporary, natural, and grammatical. It's what a young, educated Midwesterner might say.

She got to the game late, so she's late to it.

When we discuss arriving, we tend to use to:

- I got to dinner late.
- We went to the fair.
- Go to hell!
- She came to the meeting completely prepared.
- He was first to the gate.