In the following question, out of the given four alternatives, select the…
2021
In the following question, out of the given four alternatives, select the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the Idiom/Phrase.
Bolt from the blue
- A.
A violent thunderstorm
- B.
A catastrophic happening
- C.
An apparition
- D.
A sudden and entirely unforeseen event
Attempted by 9 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
An idiom is a fixed expression whose overall meaning cannot be worked out from the literal meanings of its individual words; you must recall the established, figurative sense in which the language community actually uses it.
Application
The phrase "Bolt from the blue" pictures a lightning bolt striking out of a clear blue sky. Lightning is expected during a storm, so a bolt out of a cloudless sky is something that arrives with no warning at all. Its established figurative meaning is therefore an event that happens suddenly and is completely unexpected.
Contrast
"A violent thunderstorm" reads the words as literal weather rather than as a figure of speech.
"A catastrophic happening" describes the event by how harmful it is, a dimension the idiom does not fix.
"An apparition" names a ghost-like vision, a separate figurative sense.
The meaning that matches the idiom is therefore: a sudden and entirely unforeseen event.