Wiktionary
vb. (context idiomatic English) To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.
Usage examples of "get a handle on".
He listened apprehensively to their chatter, trying to get a handle on the language, praying it wasn't Norwegian.
Always-almost-overweight Eddie Jacubois, who drank too much and would probably be making a little trip to Scranton for a two-week stay in the Member Assistance Program if he didn't get a handle on his drinking soon?
I assure you that I am confident of handling the handle, if I can get a handle on it.
I'm still trying to get a handle on a lot of the troops myself, and I thought it would be a good starting point.
He had just begun to get a handle on the orbital tracking problem when Orbital Traffic Control lost power.
We need to get a handle on our talents, so we won't flounder when we need them.
But I'm bound to run into more trouble if I don't get a handle on it.