break the ice

English

Etymology

By application of the metaphor that strangers are socially separated by ice.

Pronunciation

• (US, UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹeɪk ði ˈaɪs/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

break the ice (third-person singular simple present breaks the ice, present participle breaking the ice, simple past broke the ice, past participle broken the ice)

1. (idiomatic) To start to get to know people to avoid social awkwardness and formality.

   Including a few fun details in large group introductions can be a great way to break the ice.

2. (idiomatic) To introduce conversation.
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 214:

     If it be so ſir, that you are the man Muſt ſteed us all, and me amongſt the reſt: And if you breake the ice and do this ſeeke, Atchieve the elder: ſet the yonger free, For our acceſſe, whose hap ſhall be to have her, will not so graceleſſe be, to be ingrate.

3. To surmount initial difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see break,‎ the,‎ ice.

Derived terms

• icebreaker
• shatter the ice

Translations

to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: սառույցը կոտրել (saṙuycʻə kotrel)
• Catalan: rompre el glaç (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 打破僵局 (dǎpò jiāngjú), 打破冷場 / 打破冷场 (dǎpò lěngchǎng), 破冰 (zh) (pòbīng)

• Czech: prolomit ledy pf
• Danish: bryde isen
• Dutch: het ijs breken
• Finnish: keventää (fi), vapauttaa (tunnelmaa)
• French: briser la glace (fr)
• Galician: romper o xeo
• German: das Eis brechen (de)
• Greek: σπάζω τον πάγο (spázo ton págo) (formal), σπάω τον πάγο (spáo ton págo) (informal)
• Hindi: बात-चीत की औपचारिकता हटाना (bāt-cīt kī aupcāriktā haṭānā)
• Hungarian: megtöri a jeget
• Italian: rompere il ghiaccio (it)
• Japanese: 口火を切る (くちびをきる, kuchibi o kiru), 言い出す (ja) (いいだす, iidasu)
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Latvian: spert pirmo soli
• Norwegian: bryte isen
• Polish: przełamać lody pf
• Portuguese: quebrar o gelo (pt)
• Romanian: sparge gheața
• Russian: сде́лать пе́рвый шаг pf (sdélatʹ pérvyj šag), положи́ть нача́ло pf (položítʹ načálo)
• Spanish: romper el hielo (es)
• Swedish: bryta isen (sv)
• Thai: ละลายพฤติกรรม
• Turkish: buzları eritmek, kabuğundan çıkmak, kabuğunu kırmak
• Ukrainian: ламати лід impf (lamaty lid)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can