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What does “out of the blue” mean?
Meaning, example sentences and a quick practice question.
B2
Suddenly and unexpectedly
“She called me out of the blue after years.”
Say it smoothly: “ou-tov-the-blue”
From the B2 lesson You'll Never Guess… (telling news).
C1
Suddenly and completely unexpectedly
“She called me out of the blue after ten years.”
Say it smoothly: “ou-tov-the-blue”
From the C1 lesson You'll Never Guess… (telling news).
Quick check
What does “out of the blue” mean?
Teaching this phrase?“out of the blue” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a reading, three exercises, speaking tasks and an answer key, in Everyday English Chunks B2 Pack 2 (Plans, Problems and Feelings) and Everyday English Chunks C1 Pack 2 (Plans, Problems and Feelings).
See the B2 lesson pack See the C1 lesson pack
See the B2 lesson pack See the C1 lesson pack
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Related phrases
- next thing I knewused to describe something sudden happening in a story
- it turned outused to reveal how something eventually happened
- to cut a long story shortused to summarize a story, skipping the details
- funnily enoughused to introduce something slightly surprising or coincidental
- in the endused to describe the final result of a situation
- as it happensused to introduce a coincidence
- all of a suddensuddenly, without warning
- believe it or notused to introduce something surprising but true
- guess whatused to introduce exciting or surprising news
- little did I knowused to say you didn't realize something important at the time
- much to my surpriseused to say something surprised you, often pleasantly
- as luck would have itby chance, often in a fortunate way