out of the blue

I

adjective

not anticipated (Freq. 1)

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"unanticipated and disconcerting lines of development"- H.W.Glidden

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unforeseen circumstances

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a virtue unlooked-for in people so full of energy

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like a bolt out of the blue

• Syn: ↑unanticipated, ↑unforeseen, ↑unlooked-for

• Similar to: ↑unexpected

II

adverb

in a way that was not expected

-

her brother showed up at the wedding out of the blue

• Syn: ↑unexpectedly

• Derived from adjective: ↑unexpected (for: ↑unexpectedly)

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phrasal

: without preliminary warning : unexpectedly

the job was offered to me out of the blue — F.A.Swinnerton

* * *

out of the blue

1. From the cloudless sky

2. Entirely unexpectedly

• • •

Main Entry: ↑blue

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out of the blue phrase

happening in a way that is sudden and unexpected, and does not seem connected with anything that happened before

Out of the blue she said, ‘Your name’s John, isn’t it?’

Thesaurus: happening or done quickly, suddenly or immediately_synonym

Main entry: blue

* * *

(or out of a clear blue sky) informal without warning; unexpectedly

she phoned me out of the blue

Origin:

with reference to a "blue" (i.e., clear) sky, from which nothing unusual is expected

* * *

out of the blue

: without warning : in a surprising or unexpected way

Then, out of the blue, he sold his house and left the country.

• • •

Main Entry: ↑blue

* * *

out of the ˈblue idiom

unexpectedly; without warning

•

The decision came out of the blue.

Main entry: ↑blue_idiom