feel the pulse of something —(also: keep one’s finger on the pulse of something ) keep track of the current developments and trends in smth.:
- What consummate skill must be his who thus feels the pulse of fashion, recognizing in its beat the indications of this or that tendency…
have a feel on the pulse of something—have sensitivity for and understanding of smth.:
- In day to day dealing with crosssections of society, they tend to have a feel on the pulse of society: its ills, travails and aspirations.