lay of the land, the
The nature, arrangement, or disposition of something, the general state of affairs, as in Once we know the lay of the land, we can plan our advertising campaign. A related expression is how the land lies, as in Let's be cautious till we know how the land lies. This usage originated in Britain about 1700 as the lie of the land and is still so used there.
Words nearby lay of the land, the
lay it on the line,
lay it on thick,
lay low,
lay odds,
lay of the land,
lay of the land, the,
lay off,
lay on,
lay on the line,
lay on, macduff,
lay one's cards on the table