out of the blue
/aʊt əv ðə bluː/
Meaning
This idiom describes something that happens completely unexpectedly, by surprise, and without any warning. It comes from the phrase 'a bolt out of the blue,' referring to a sudden lightning bolt from a clear blue sky. It is highly common in casual and informal English.
Examples
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My old high school friend called me out of the blue yesterday.
My old high school friend called me out of the blue yesterday.
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The company offered him a promotion out of the blue, and he was thrilled.
The company offered him a promotion out of the blue, and he was thrilled.
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It started pouring rain out of the blue, even though the forecast predicted sun.
It started pouring rain out of the blue, even though the forecast predicted sun.
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She decided to quit her job out of the blue and travel the world.
She decided to quit her job out of the blue and travel the world.
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He showed up at my doorstep out of the blue after five years of no contact.
He showed up at my doorstep out of the blue after five years of no contact.
Common Mistakes
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✗ She called me from the blue.
✓ She called me out of the blue.
The prepositional phrase must be 'out of the blue', not 'from the blue'.
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✗ It was a very out of the blue decision.
✓ It was a completely out-of-the-blue decision.
When used as an adjective directly before a noun, it should be hyphenated, though it is much more naturally used as an adverbial phrase at the end of a clause.
Related Expressions
Practice
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The news came ___ and left everyone in complete shock.
💡 It happened suddenly and without any warning.
Show answer
out of the blue
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He resigned ___ last week, surprising the entire team.
💡 Nobody expected his resignation.
Show answer
out of the blue