What’s a “bolt from the blue”?

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“Bolt from the blue” is an English idiom that refers to something that happens out of nowhere and comes as a complete surprise. Something described in this way can be a good or bad thing, but it has to be something unexpected to merit the use of this phrase. The meaning of “lightning from the blue” comes from what would happen if lightning struck a clear, blue sky. This would be quite unexpected, just as anything described in this way would be surprising to those who experience it.

Idioms are phrases that derive their meaning not from the literal definitions of their words or from their origins. Instead, their meanings evolve as they are used in a culture. They often acquire unique meanings that are very different from any literal interpretation and are used by speakers to enliven speech with conversational colour. Many of these idiomatic phrases are used to express surprise. One of the most popular of these expressions is the phrase “bolt from the blue”.

It’s important to realize that this phrase can be used in many different contexts. Many times, people use it to describe something that is considered a fluke. Sometimes it can often refer to a sudden reversal of fortune for the person speaking. For example, someone might say, “Having that job interview so soon after getting fired was like a bolt from the blue.” The implication is that the new job offer was completely unexpected by the speaker.

Unfortunately, there are some occasions that may warrant the phrase to describe some bad things that happen unexpectedly. Many times, it seems that bad news comes out of nowhere or, to use a similar idiom, “out of the blue. On those occasions, this popular phrase can be used to describe the shock of bad news for the speaker or the person he or she is describing. Consider the sentence: “He was in such good health and he became ill just like that; it was a real bolt from the blue”.

This is an idiom where the meaning could be guessed just by thinking about the phrase. A “thunderbolt” is a reference to a bolt of lightning, which normally occurs in the midst of an overcast sky and a thunderstorm. Conversely, a “bolt from the blue” suggests that the lightning is coming from a blue sky, which would probably be extremely surprising to all who see it.

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