phrase. If you sit on the fence, you avoid supporting a particular side in a discussion or argument. They are sitting on the fence and refusing to commit themselves.
What does sitting on the fence meaning?
idiom. to delay making a decision: You can’t sit on the fence any longer – you have to decide whose side you’re on. Doubt & ambivalence.
Where does the phrase sitting on the fence come from?
The origin of the idiom ‘on the fence’ has its roots in Middle English, when the word ‘fens’, short for ‘defens’ was originated. Later, an “e” was added to the term to form the word defense as it is used today.
What does it mean to not sit on the fence?
To remain neutral, to refuse to take sides in a dispute; often used in a derogatory way about someone who lacks the courage to decide: “The councilman is afraid he’ll lose votes if he takes sides on the zoning issue, but he can’t sit on the fence forever.”
What is it called when you sit on the fence?
“Sitting on the fence” is a common idiom used in English to describe a person’s lack of decisiveness, neutrality or hesitance to choose between two sides in an argument or a competition, or inability to decide due to lack of courage.
How do you use sitting on the fence in a sentence?
Example Sentences
It would be good if you stop sitting on the fence and choose whose side you are on. He did not want to say no to either of them, so he was just sitting on the fence. She did not know whether to say yes or no to the proposal, she was sitting on the fence.
What does the saying chalk and cheese mean?
very different from each
When you say that two people are like ‘chalk and cheese’, you are suggesting that the two are very different from each other; they have nothing in common. The expression, which has the same meaning as ‘apples and oranges’, can be used with things as well.
What are the consequences of sitting on the fence?
When we sit on the fence we’re lying to ourselves because we already know the direction we want to travel; we’re simply hesitating. The scary thing is that some people will sit on the fence their entire lives, never achieving the goal they’ve set for themselves.
What does open a can of worms mean?
create a complicated situation
Definition of open a can of worms
: to create a complicated situation in which doing something to correct a problem leads to many more problems Our boss is reluctant to change the policy now because she doesn’t want to open a can of worms.
What does off the hook mean slang?
(idiomatic, informal, slang) Fresh, cool, trendy, excellent. That party was off the hook!
What does it mean once in the blue moon?
something extremely rare in occurrence
1. Once in a blue moon: This poetic phrase refers to something extremely rare in occurrence. A blue moon is the term commonly used for a second full moon that occasionally appears in a single month of our solar-based calendars.
What does the ball in your court mean?
If you say that the ball is in someone’s court, you mean that it is his or her responsibility to take the next action or decision in a situation. The ball’s now in your court–you have to decide what you’re going to do.
What are the 20 examples of idioms?
Here are 20 English idioms that everyone should know:
- Under the weather. What does it mean?
- The ball is in your court. What does it mean?
- Spill the beans. What does it mean?
- Break a leg. What does it mean?
- Pull someone’s leg. What does it mean?
- Sat on the fence. What does it mean?
- Through thick and thin.
- Once in a blue moon.
What does missed the boat mean?
to lose an opportunity to
to lose an opportunity to do something by being slow to act: There were tickets available last week, but he missed the boat by waiting till today to try to buy some.
What does in the fence mean?
uncommitted or undecided in a controversy. See full dictionary entry for fence.
What is the meaning of the idiom a fish out of water?
idiom. a person who feels awkward or unhappy because they are in a situation that is not familiar or because they are different from the people around them: I didn’t have any friends that were like me. I just always felt like a fish out of water.
What does the idiom the best of both worlds meaning?
idiom. C1. a situation in which you can enjoy the advantages of two very different things at the same time: She works in the city and lives in the country, so she gets the best of both worlds.
How do you use once in a blue moon in a sentence?
“Once in a blue moon I go to the cinema, only when there’s a film I really, really want to see.” “I’m very careful about what I eat so it’s only once in a blue moon I eat fast food.” ”Because I live abroad, I get to see my parents once in a blue moon.”
How do you use Cloud 9 in a sentence?
I never expected to win, so I’m on cloud nine.
What is give up the ghost?
(intransitive, idiomatic) To cease clinging to life; to die. quotations ▼synonyms ▲ Synonyms: yield up the ghost, yield the ghost; see also Thesaurus:die. (intransitive, idiomatic, figuratively) To quit; to cease functioning. My old computer finally gave up the ghost the other day.
What does a head like a sieve mean?
informal. : to have a very bad memory : to be unable to remember things.