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Out of the blue

Out of the blue

Meaning

Suddenly and unexpectedly.

Examples

We were sunbathing and then it just started to hail. It was literally out of the blue.

Where did it originate?

Britain, 19th century (as ‘a bolt from the blue’).

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Out of the blue

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