Englishget the ball rolling
Meaning: to start something; to initiate a process.
Example: “Let's get the ball rolling with a quick round of introductions.”
Origin: The phrase predates the episode most often credited with it. "Keep the ball rolling" is attested in British English from the late 1700s, drawn from ball games in which play continues only while the ball stays in motion, and stopping it ends the action. What the 1840 American presidential campaign added was spectacle rather than the phrase itself: supporters of William Henry Harrison built enormous balls of tin and leather, some ten feet across, and pushed them along roads from town to town while chanting about keeping the ball rolling. The stunt made the expression inescapable in American English and tied it permanently to political momentum, and "get the ball rolling" — the starting form rather than the sustaining one — followed from there.
More English idioms
- up the creek without a paddle in a difficult situation without means to escape.
- paint the town red to celebrate wildly; to party extensively.
- fit as a fiddle in excellent physical condition; healthy.
- take the plunge to commit to something risky; to make a decisive move.
- a nose for something a talent for finding or recognizing something; keen instinct.
- keep your chin up to remain optimistic; to stay courageous during difficulty.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Turn your wounds into wisdom Our deepest pains and failures can become our greatest teachers and sources of strength.
- He who dares, wins Bold action and courage are rewarded; timidity leads to missed opportunities.
- Know thyself Self-knowledge and self-awareness are the foundation of all wisdom and right living.
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