see

see how the land lies

To find out about or come to understand a particular state of affairs or the way a situation exists or has developed, especially before taking any decisive or definitive action. Given the turbulent nature of this market, I think it would be prudent for us to see how the land lies before we agree to invest in your company. I'm just seeing how the land lies between my parents before I make any solid plans to come visit them.
See also: how, land, lie, see
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

see

tv. to equal someone’s bet in poker. I see your five and raise you ten.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

see

/hear things
To have hallucinations.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See:
  • "I see," said the blind man
  • (boy,) am I glad to see you!
  • (I) hope to see you again (soon/sometime)
  • (I'll) see you (again) (real) soon
  • (I'll) see you in another life
  • (I'll) see you in church
  • (I'll) see you in hell!
  • (I'll) see you in the funnies
  • (I'll) see you in the funny pages
  • (I'll) see you in the funny papers
  • (I'll) see you then
  • (I'll) see you tomorrow
  • (I'll) see you when I see you
  • (it's) good to see you (again)
  • (it's) nice to see you
  • (it's) nice to see you, too
  • (one) never thought (one) would see (someone) here
  • a blind man could see this/that/it
  • a look-see
  • Am I glad to see you!
  • as far as I can see
  • as far as the eye can see
  • as far as the eye can/could see
  • as I see it
  • be glad to see the back of (someone or something)
  • be glad to see the back of someone or something
  • be glad, etc. to see the back of somebody/something
  • begin to see daylight
  • begin to see the light
  • believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see
  • call it/them as (one) sees it/them
  • call it/them like (one) sees it/them
  • Can I see you again?
  • Can I see you in my office?
  • can see (from) a mile off
  • cannot see any further than the end of one’s nose
  • cannot see further than the end of one’s nose
  • cannot see further than your nose
  • cannot see the wood for the trees
  • can't see (any) further than the end of (one's) nose
  • can't see (one's) hand in front of (one's) face
  • can't see a hole in a ladder
  • can't see beyond the end of (one's) nose
  • can't see beyond the end of one's nose
  • can't see farther than (one's) nose
  • can't see farther than the end of (one's) nose
  • can't see further than (the end of) (one's) (own) nose
  • can't see hand in front of face
  • can't see past the end of (one's) nose
  • can't see straight
  • can't see the forest for the trees
  • can't see the forest/wood(s) for the trees
  • can't see the wood for the trees
  • catch (someone) some other time
  • color of someone's money, see the
  • color of your money, let's see the
  • come back and see me
  • Come back and see us
  • Could I see you again?
  • Could I see you in my office?
  • don't see you around here much anymore
  • don't see you much around here anymore
  • fail to see
  • first see the light of day
  • for all (the world) to see
  • for all to see
  • from can see to can't see
  • from my perspective
  • go see a man about a dog
  • go see Mrs. Murphy
  • go to see a man about a dog
  • going to see Mrs. Murphy
  • good to see you
  • have a look-see
  • haven't seen hide nor hair of (someone or something)
  • hear the end of (someone or something)
  • hear the last of (someone or something)
  • hear/see the end/the last of somebody/something
  • hear/see the last of somebody/something
  • hide nor hair
  • hope to see you again
  • I have to go see a man about a dog
  • I see
  • I see London, I see France
  • I see what you did there
  • I see what you mean
  • if you don't see what you want, just ask (for it)
  • If you don't see what you want, please ask
  • if you don't see what you want, please ask (for it)
  • if you see what I mean
  • I'll be seeing you
  • I'll believe it when I see it
  • I'll believe it/that when I see it
  • I'll see ya (later)
  • I'll see you (later)
  • I'll see you later
  • I'll see your (something) and raise you (something else)
  • I'll try to see (one) later
  • in a bad light
  • in the cards
  • is that a (something) in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me
  • Is that a (something) in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
  • it was nice to see you
  • Just (you) wait (and see)!
  • later
  • let me see
  • let me see/think
  • let me think
  • let the dog see the rabbit
  • let's see
  • light at the end of a tunnel, (see) the
  • long time no see
  • look after
  • look into
  • lookers-on see most of the game
  • look-see
  • love sees no faults
  • make (one) see reason
  • make (one) see sense
  • make (one) see stars
  • May I see you again?
  • monkey see, monkey do
  • naked eye
  • never thought I'd see you here!
  • nice to see you
  • not able to see the forest for the trees
  • not able to see the wood for the trees
  • not if I see you first
  • not if I see you sooner
  • Not if I see you sooner, and Not if I see you first
  • not see (one) for dust
  • not see any objection
  • not see beyond your nose
  • not see beyond/past the end of your nose
  • not see eye to eye
  • not see hide nor hair of somebody/something
  • not see somebody for dust
  • not see someone for dust
  • not see straight
  • not see the wood for the trees
  • on the dot
  • onlookers see most of the game
  • rose-colored glasses, to look/see through
  • run it up the flagpole (and see who salutes), let's
  • run up
  • see
  • see (one) about (something)
  • see (one) across (something or some place)
  • see (one) back (to something or some place)
  • see (one) coming
  • see (one) down (to something or some place)
  • see (one) for what (one) (really) is
  • see (one) home
  • see (one) in hell before (doing something)
  • see (one) in hell first
  • see (one) in the flesh
  • see (one) right
  • see (one) through
  • see (one) to (some place)
  • see (one) to (something)
  • see (one) to the door
  • see (one) up to (some place)
  • see (one's) name in lights
  • see (one's) way (clear) to (doing something)
  • see (some amount) of (someone or something)
  • see (someone or something) in a new light
  • see (someone's) point
  • see (something) a mile off
  • see (something) against (something else)
  • see (something) coming
  • see (something) through
  • see (something) through rose-colored glasses
  • see (something) through rose-coloured spectacles
  • see (the) red mist
  • see (to it) that (something happens)
  • see a lot of (one)
  • see a lot, nothing, etc. of somebody
  • see a man about a dog
  • see a man about a horse
  • see about
  • see about (something)
  • see across
  • see after
  • see after (someone or something)
  • see against
  • see ahead
  • see also
  • see around
  • see as
  • see as (something)
  • see back
  • see beyond
  • see beyond (someone or something)
  • see both sides
  • see both sides (of something)
  • see daylight
  • see double
  • see down to
  • see eye to eye
  • see eye to eye about (something)
  • see eye to eye on (something)
  • see eye to eye with (someone)
  • see eye to eye, to
  • see fit
  • see fit (to do something)
  • see for (oneself)
  • see for yourself
  • see home
  • see how the land lies
  • see how the sausage gets made
  • see how the wind blows
  • see how the wind is blowing
  • see if I care
  • See if I care!
  • see in
  • see in a new light
  • see into
  • see it coming
  • see life
  • see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
  • see no further than (the end of) (one's) (own) nose
  • see no further than the end of nose
  • see no further than the end of one’s nose
  • see no objection
  • see of
  • see off
  • see one's way to
  • see out
  • see over
  • see over (someone or something)
  • see pink elephants
  • see pink spiders
  • see reason
  • see red
  • see red, to
  • see sense
  • see sense/reason
  • see service
  • see snakes
  • see somebody coming
  • see somebody in hell first
  • see somebody right
  • see somebody/something for what they are/it is
  • see someone coming
  • see someone off
  • see someone right
  • see something a mile off
  • see something coming
  • see stars
  • see that is done
  • see that it is done
  • see the (hand)writing on the wall
  • see the back of
  • see the back of (someone or something)
  • see the color of (one's) money
  • see the color of money
  • see the colour of somebody's money
  • see the colour of someone's money
  • see the elephant
  • see the end of (someone or something)
  • see the error of (one's) ways
  • see the error of your ways
  • see the funny side (of something)
  • see the funny side of something
  • see the glass as half empty
  • see the glass as half full
  • see the last of
  • see the last of (someone or something)
  • see the light
  • see the light at the end of the tunnel
  • see the light of day
  • see the light, to
  • see the point (of something)
  • see the point in (doing) (something)
  • see the sights
  • see the world
  • see the writing on the wall
  • see things
  • see through
  • see through (someone or something)
  • see through rose-colored glasses
  • see through someone/something, to
  • see to
  • see to (someone or something)
  • see to it
  • see to some place
  • see up to
  • see what I care
  • See what I did there?
  • see which way the cat jumps
  • see which way the wind blows
  • see which way the wind is blowing
  • see with half an eye
  • See ya
  • see ya (later)
  • See ya, bye-bye
  • See you
  • see you (later)
  • See you around
  • see you in a (little) while
  • see you in a little while
  • See you in another life
  • See you in church
  • See you in the funny pages
  • See you later
  • see you later, alligator
  • see you next Tuesday
  • see you next year
  • see you soon
  • see you then
  • see you tomorrow
  • See you, too
  • see your way clear to do something
  • see your way to doing something
  • see, etc. how the land lies
  • see, spot, smell, etc. something a mile off
  • see/hear things
  • see/think fit
  • seeing things
  • show the door
  • so I see
  • so I see!
  • suck it and see
  • the way I see it
  • there for everyone to see
  • there's none so blind as those who will not see
  • they that live longest see most
  • throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks
  • try to catch you some other time
  • wait and see
  • wait-and-see
  • wait-and-see attitude
  • what the eye doesn't see
  • what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over
  • what you see is what you get
  • Will I see you again?
  • would see (someone) in hell before (one) would (do something)
  • you (just) wait (and see)
  • you see
References in periodicals archive
I find myself somewhat like the man near Oral Roberts who didn't see Jesus.
What can reasonable people learn from a faith healer?
Does he see any problems with the official Flight 77 crash scenario'?
9-11 conspiracy fact & fiction: an abundance of sensational and irrational conjecture about the September 11 terrorist attacks is being used to discredit any consideration of conspiracy in general
And Tanaquil LeClercq was spiritual--it was awesome to see her move.
Dance idols: every dancer has heroes: 12 star performers talk about theirs
Example: "I can't believe I didn't see it." A radiologist sees an abnormality in the small finger, matching the clinical history.
Why did it take so long to make the diagnosis?
It already has its own specific vehicles and even now we see many cars there that we don't see in Germany.
The view from Bosch: China, diesels, hybrids, & more
All along the Eastern seaboard, the material recyclers see mostly current scrap coming into their facilities.
Spring thaw: hot prices help Northeast recyclers spring out of winter's deep freeze
Waller, as well as others (see, for example, Edin, 1995; Furstenberg et al., 1992), found that most mothers would like fathers to be more involved with their children, even if they are not reliable in providing financial support.
Key determinants of mothers' decisions to allow visits with non-custodial fathers
But two drugs are more expensive than one, the chances of suffering side effects are greater, and you've got to see a doctor to get them--all of which may explain why many men have turned to herbal supplements to help with their enlarged prostates.
Urine trouble: the flow must go on
In My Neighbor Totoro, only the children can see the magical forest creatures, while in Grave of the Fireflies, the suffering children are all but invisible to the preoccupied adults around them.
Studio Ghibli: Japan's Anime Dream Factory: Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki's magical kingdoms are very Japanese
Derek Burns, whose son, also Derek, vanished aged 19, said: "Maybe he'll see this and realise we've never given up looking for him."
The Missing Special Report; Help us put them back in touch with loved ones
"We don't want anyone to see it," said Larry Langford, public information officer for the Office of Emergency Communications.
Emergency plan eludes city officials
In its first announcement in Kabul, it ordered women to stay home, not to work outside their houses, to wear the burqa--a head-to-toe cover with meshed holes to see through.
We have already suffered 20 years of war
I saw a rat alive on a trap with his stomach cut open and I can see the blood coming out.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
It's basically as simple as using litmus paper to see if a solution is acidic or basic by observing whether the paper changes color.
SMELLING IN COLOR: a RAINBOW OF POSSIBILITIES
"Many direct underwriters took two-year programs, so we won't see a reaction from the reinsurers until those treaties expire," he said.
Silver Lining Shines Through