skate one's lane

present singular third person skates one's lane · participle present skating one's lane · participle past skated one's lane · past skated one's lane

1. hobbiesTo play in one's assigned position rather than straying to the location of the current action.

   Wings should skate their lanes and not go roaming about the ice.

   1971, Mark Mulvoy, Ice Hockey, →ISBN, page 48

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   When the three-on-two situation develops, coming out of your own end, it is best to work the puck to the middle, where the center should be skating his lane.

   1976, Kevin Walsh, Hockey for beginners, →ISBN, page 60

   Their coach, Ray Preston, was a screamer; he yelled at them to cover their man or skate their lanes.

   1990, John Smolens, Winter by Degrees, →ISBN, page 25

2. broadlyidiomaticTo mind one's own business; focus on one's own goals and tasks and not worry about what others are doing.

   Well, yes, but they're also human beings, fathers, sons, brothers, cousins, uncles and friends. Role players have to skate their lanes off the ice, too.

   2011 September 2, Michael Hurley, “Deaths of Wade Belak, NHL Enforcers Leave NHL, NHLPA Left With Problem That's Impossible to Fix”, in NESN

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   Failing to do so could spell disaster. After all, if skin care for tweens is truly a good business idea, it wouldn’t take long for one or two of the big players that have been watching from the sidelines to tap those customers that Christy is slow to reach, and eventually push her out of the picture. She knows all this, of course, and for now is skating her lane.

   2012 April 25, Stephen Sawicki, “Face Time”, in I Love FC (the best of fairfield county living)

   Pareene is right. "Dangerous Donald" is stupid and childish. You are not going to out-stupid and/or out-childish He, Trump. Nobody can do that, not even incredibly stupid children. Skate your lane, Clinton people. Yeesh.

   2016 May 7, Charles P. Pierce, “Happy Friday. 'Dangerous Donald' Is Childish and Stupid”, in Esquire