out of the blue
unexpectedly, without warning
In Spanish
de la nada, de repente
Examples
- She called me out of the blue after five years of silence.
- The opportunity to work abroad came out of the blue and changed my life.
- Out of the blue, he decided to quit his job and travel the world.
When it's used
This idiom is used to describe events or situations that happen unexpectedly or without prior warning. It is common in both spoken and informal written English. It can be used by speakers of all ages.
The common mistake
A common mistake is to translate the idiom literally from Spanish as 'out of nothing'. This is not what an English speaker says and it doesn't convey the idea of surprise.