drop a bombshell, to
drop a bombshell
To reveal something that is very surprising or unexpected. Whoa, you can't just drop a bombshell like that and leave—I need details about your new boyfriend! When we got a tip that the newspaper was about to drop a bombshell about our candidate, we all wondered what information they could possibly have.
See also: bombshell, drop
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
drop a bombshell
Make an unexpected or shattering announcement. For example, Bill dropped a bombshell when he said he was quitting. This expression, which alludes to the destruction caused by a falling bomb, dates from World War I.
See also: bombshell, drop
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
drop a bombshell
COMMON If someone drops a bombshell, they suddenly announce a piece of bad news. Next day the bombshell was dropped on the front pages of the newspapers: the company had gone into voluntary liquidation. My ex-wife is on the phone and she drops a bombshell. Sue, our daughter, is leaving the country.
See also: bombshell, drop
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
drop a ˈbombshell
announce something which is unexpected and usually unpleasant: It was then that he dropped the bombshell — he wasn’t planning to come with us.See also: bombshell, drop
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
drop a bombshell
verbSee drop a brick
See also: bombshell, drop
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
drop a bombshell, to
To announce sensational news. This metaphor dates from World War I and likens the devastation caused by falling bombs to the shock of suddenly receiving unexpected tidings. “The letters do not drop any historical bombshells,” wrote a Manchester Guardian reviewer in 1928. See also bolt from the blue.
See also: drop
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- drop a bombshell
- explode a bombshell
- explode
- drop a bomb
- have a kick to it
- have a kick to it/them
- double buffalo
- take it easy
- take it/things easy
- shut the door on (something)