roll the dice
roll the dice
Meaning
- to gamble or take a chance on something or someone
- to take a risk with the hope of gaining something positive from it
Example Sentences
- The bartender decided to roll the dice and use rum for the cocktail since they were out of gin.
- Mary finally deciding to date Leon was her ultimately rolling the dice.
- Instead of doing something that is sure to end in disaster, it is better to roll the dice on something that just might work out.
- Tania is so adventurous; she enjoys rolling the dice on every situation rather than playing safe.
- It's easier for most people to choose something they are familiar with rather than rolling the dice with something totally new to them.
Origin
This phrase originated from the advent of gambling using a six sided die. So when people roll the dice, they hope to get a number, usually number 7, and then win some money. If they don't get this number, they lose whatever money they had put on the game and get a chance to pay to play again. So the phrase became used in everyday life as taking a chance or a risk to get something worthwhile.