Is there a difference between having/getting etc a grasp of something and a grip on something, when you mean knowledge/understanding?
Merriam Webster defines grip , in this sense, as "mental grasp", which makes pinpointing any difference, if there is one, even harder.
A few examples:
- can't seem to get a grip on calculus (Webster)
- a remarkable grasp of the subject (Webster)
- Her grasp of the issues was impressive; Steve has a good grasp of the European legal system; We're still trying to get a grasp on the situation. (Longman)
- I’m just trying to get a grip on what’s happening; She was losing her grip on reality. (Longman)
Best Answer
The words grip and grasp are such near synonyms that the difference between expressions to get a grip and to get a grasp may be a matter of one's preference or idiolect. Consider primary definitions offered up by Google:
Grip is rooted in OE - grippa (v) or gripe (n); Grasp is linked to ME, possibly grope.
Grip may have a slightly more informal or idiosyncratic sense when applied to a subject (such as calculus), and Grasp may be idiomatically inappropriate in the sense of self-control (Get a grasp on yourself doesn't necessarily sound right), but as a matter of hard and fast definitions, the denotative difference between the words will be subtle at best.
As part of common expressions, grip may be firmer and perhaps more forceful: after all, Beowulf grapples Grendel in a "mund-gripe", tearing his talon off in the process. While not taken lightly, the possibly younger grasp may be just a bit more deliberate, and therefore more appropriate to an idea than an object or enemy. Even so, Shakespeare placed "a barren Scepter in my Gripe" (Macbeth, III i) only to see a legion of editors turn Gripe into grasp.
So this one may be tough to call.