It’s very strange, but I had a dream last night about a friend I hadn’t seen since high school. We lost touch when we both went to different universities. I dreamt that she was wearing a white dress and dancing with a mysterious figure. But then, this morning she called me up out of the blue to invite me to her wedding in the spring!
Learn more about this commonly used idiom in the video below.
Transcript
Imagine you’re on a boat, and out of the blue ocean, suddenly a killer whale appears! That’s the idea with this phrase. Out of the blue means suddenly and unexpectedly; abruptly; without any prior notice or signal.
Let’s get a clearer understanding by looking at some examples:
- I lost my job today! I’m shocked! This came totally out of the blue!
- The stock markets are in turmoil today! The cause? This morning, out of the blue, Apple posted losses of $5 billion for the first quarter.
- We were out on our daily jog, when, out of the blue, John grabs his foot and cries in pain. I look down, and he has a ring in his hand!
So, there we have it: out of the blue. Can you use this phrase in a sentence of your own? I look forward to reading your comments.
Practice
Read the following questions and try to respond using today’s idiom.
- When was the last time you got some unexpected good news?
- Are there any friends you had lost touch with that contacted you suddenly to meet up?
- Did you ever receive some money unexpectedly?
- Were you ever surprised by a decision a friend or family member made that seemed to come out of nowhere?
- Were you ever surprised by the closure of a store or a restaurant in your community? Why?
Got any questions about this episode? Visit the Free Spirit English page on Facebook to ask questions and share your example sentences.
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