lose the plot

Verb

 * 1)  To cease to behave in a consistent and/or rational manner.
 * 2)  To lose sight of an important objective or principle; to act contrarily to one's own interests through concentrating on relatively unimportant matters.
 * 3) * 2011, House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs, 2nd Report of Session 2010-11: Auditors: Market Concentration and Their Role, Volume II: Evidence, |loses|losing|lost+the+plot%22%22&hl=en&ei=lTQxToTSOfTRiALc29CIBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAjge#v=onepage&q=%22lose|loses|losing|lost%20the%20plot%22%22&f=false page 19,
 * [Professor Fearnley:] If I can perhaps be a little unkind about my profession — which is fair enough I suppose — I think the accountancy profession, along with other professions, loses the plot from time to time and has to be pulled back from what it was doing before.
 * 1)  To lose sight of an important objective or principle; to act contrarily to one's own interests through concentrating on relatively unimportant matters.
 * 2) * 2011, House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs, 2nd Report of Session 2010-11: Auditors: Market Concentration and Their Role, Volume II: Evidence, |loses|losing|lost+the+plot%22%22&hl=en&ei=lTQxToTSOfTRiALc29CIBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAjge#v=onepage&q=%22lose|loses|losing|lost%20the%20plot%22%22&f=false page 19,
 * [Professor Fearnley:] If I can perhaps be a little unkind about my profession — which is fair enough I suppose — I think the accountancy profession, along with other professions, loses the plot from time to time and has to be pulled back from what it was doing before.
 * 1) * 2011, House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs, 2nd Report of Session 2010-11: Auditors: Market Concentration and Their Role, Volume II: Evidence, |loses|losing|lost+the+plot%22%22&hl=en&ei=lTQxToTSOfTRiALc29CIBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAjge#v=onepage&q=%22lose|loses|losing|lost%20the%20plot%22%22&f=false page 19,
 * [Professor Fearnley:] If I can perhaps be a little unkind about my profession — which is fair enough I suppose — I think the accountancy profession, along with other professions, loses the plot from time to time and has to be pulled back from what it was doing before.
 * [Professor Fearnley:] If I can perhaps be a little unkind about my profession — which is fair enough I suppose — I think the accountancy profession, along with other professions, loses the plot from time to time and has to be pulled back from what it was doing before.

Translations

 * Portuguese: perder a linha


 * Finnish: menettää otteensa
 * Maori: kei Mahurangi
 * Portuguese: perder o fio da meada
 * Spanish: perder el norte