Water Under the Bridge

Welcome to English in a Minute!

Bridges often cross bodies of water, such as rivers or bays.

But what could this idiom mean? Let’s find out.

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

I can’t believe I forgot about your birthday.

I am such a bad friend!

Don’t worry about it.

It’s Water under the bridge.

I promise I won’t forget again.

Next year I’ll be sure to get you something extra nice!

People use the idiom “ water under the bridge” to express that a past event cannot be changed.

You can’t control the natural flow of water, just as you can’t go back and change the course of a past event.

Jonathan tells Anna not to worry about forgetting his birthday, because it’s “ watter under the bridge”.

And that’s English in a Minute!