Today we’re taking a look at the Etymology of ‘Breaking the Ice”, and be sure to read all the way to the end for big savings on today’s featured product!:
To begin, a definition of the phrase, “Breaking the Ice”: (a) to relax a tense or formal atmosphere or social situation; (b) to make a start on some endeavor.
“This came into general use, in a sense, in English through Lord Byron’s “Don Juan” (1823) in the lines:
And your cold people [the British] are beyond all price,
When once you’ve broken their confounded ice.
The ice in question is metaphorically that on a river or lake in early spring.” (1)
“Back when road transportation was not developed, ships would be the only transportation and means of trade. At times, the ships would get stuck during the winter because of ice formation. The receiving country would send small ships to “break the ice” to clear a way for the trade ships. This gesture showed affiliation and understanding between two territories.” (2)
Additionally, “to break the ice would be to allow boats to pass, marking the beginning of the season’s activity after the winter freeze.1 In this way, this expression has been connected to the start of enterprise for about 400 years.” (1)
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Sources for the etymology of the phrase “Breaking the Ice”:
(1) http://www.fun-with-words.com/etym_phrases.html
(2) https://www.grammarly.com/blog/14-expressions-with-crazy-origins-that-you-would-never-have-guessed/