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. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see break,‎ the,‎ ice.
2. (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.

3. (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.

4. To surmount initial difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning.

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