# What does ‘a bolt from the blue’ mean?

To “a bolt from the blue” means to a sudden, unexpected event. The phrase is popularly linked to Thomas Carlyle's writings in the 19th century; the image is of lightning from a clear sky.

## What it means

- The phrase is popularly linked to Thomas Carlyle's writings in the 19th century; the image is of lightning from a clear sky.

## Action steps

1. Common in describing shocking news.
2. Example: Her resignation was a bolt from the blue.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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