get a read on

Mieko Kawakamiの小説 "All the Lovers in the Night" を読んでいます。

"I've never eaten one of these before," Mitsutsuka whispered, biting into one of the olives that had come with the bread.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"I can't really get a read on the flavor," Mitsutsuka said, moving his mouse. "Though I guess flavor is something we make up in our head, so maybe I just don't know where to put it yet."

"get a read on" の意味はなんとなく分かりますが、"get a read on" の用例も、名詞としての "read" は本に対しての "good read" しかなかったのでChatGPTに説明を乞いました。

ChatGPTの回答
The expression "get a read on" is not exclusive to British English; it's used in both British and American English. In this context, "get a read on" means to form an impression or understanding of something, usually referring to a person's feelings, thoughts, or the overall situation. It's a colloquial and informal way of expressing the attempt to comprehend or assess something, often based on subtle cues or observations.
説明は更に続きます。
In the excerpt from "All the Lovers in the Night," when Mitsutsuka says, "I can't really get a read on the flavor," he is expressing difficulty in figuring out or discerning the taste of the olive. He is struggling to form a clear impression of the flavor, and his statement about flavor being something "we make up in our head" suggests a philosophical or introspective perspective on the subjective nature of taste perception. In essence, Mitsutsuka is acknowledging the challenge of understanding or defining the taste of the olive.

ChatGPTは物知りのネイティブが知人になったようで便利だ。