cut the ice

cut the ice

To do something as a means of reducing or eliminating shyness, awkward tension, or unfamiliarity. A variant of the much more common expression, "break the ice." I was so nervous about meeting Samantha's parents for the first time, but her dad immediately told a great joke to cut the ice, and we all got on very well. Everyone was deathly silent after John went ballistic and left the meeting. I tried cutting the ice with a joke, but it didn't help.
See also: cut, ice
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • break the ice
  • break the ice, to
  • a watched kettle never boils
  • a slue of (something)
  • any fule kno
  • take the Michael (out of someone or something)
  • take the mike (out of someone or something)
  • (have) got something going (with someone)
  • be (right) down (one's) alley
  • be kacking it
References in classic literature
In fact, I used to hear a great deal more at Bangor, from those French Canadians that came down to cut the ice, than I saw I should ever hear at that hotel.
Bundle of Letters
This held water, and all summer it stood there, with the near-by soil draining into it, festering and stewing in the sun; and then, when winter came, somebody cut the ice on it, and sold it to the people of the city.
Jungle
Once it measured 12 inches, we harnessed up the horse, hitched him to a rugged wooden sledge and drove down to the pond, where we used big saws to cut the ice into blocks.
Refrigeration, then and now
The battle will be fierce to get the top marks fromthe judges, impress the coaches Torvill and Dean, and cut the ice with the viewers, who do the all important elimination votes.
Too cool to miss... Best of this week's TV DANCING ON ICE SAT, STV 6.40, 9.30pm
We cut the ice with an ice saw into 18-by-18-inch blocks and pull them from the water with ice tongs.
Ice cutting