Out of the Blue

Welcome to English in a minute!

Here’s a colorful expression we use often in American English.

Out of the blue

How can you get something out of a color?

I just got a message out of the blue on Facebook from my ex-boyfriend, Vladimir.

Oh boy! When was the last time you heard from him?

It’s been like five years!

And he contacted you just out of the blue like that Weird.

The expression “out of the blue” is used to describe any event that happens unexpectedly.

There is no warning or time to prepare.

The word “blue” in the expression refers to the clear, blue sky.

In our example, Anna was surprised by an “out of the blue” massage from an old boyfriend.

And that’s English in a Minute!