Cross the bridge

Meaning

The idiom "cross the bridge" is used to describe a situation where an individual or group needs to wait until a certain event happens before making a decision or taking action. It can also imply that someone will have to deal with a difficult or unpleasant situation once it arises.

Usage

• I need to cross the bridge when I get my salary, otherwise I won't be able to pay my bills.
• We're not going to do anything about this issue until we see what happens at the next meeting.
• I want to buy a new car, but I need to wait until I have enough money saved up.
• My husband is still unemployed, so we can't make any big decisions just yet.
• I don't know if I'll have time for my project, but I'm willing to cross the bridge when I get there.

Roots and History

The origin of the idiom "cross the bridge" is unclear, but it has been in use since at least the 16th century. One theory suggests that it comes from the idea of being able to see the end of a difficult situation or problem in the distance, like crossing a bridge and seeing the other side.

Synonyms in English

• Wait until you have enough information before making a decision.
• Hold off on taking action until you have more details.
• Don't jump to conclusions until you have all the facts.
• Take a step back and reassess the situation before acting.
• Let's see what happens first before we make any decisions.

Synonyms in other languages

• En attendez quand vous avez plus d'informations avant de prendre une décision (French)
• Waite until du bättre kommer innan du tar ett beslut (Swedish)
• Await weitere Informationen vor ihrer Entscheidung (German)
• Дождайтесь до того, как получаете достаточно информаций, чтобы принять решение (Russian)
• Ажируйтесь во время постоянных изменений в условиях и не порвьте решения, если вы это не могли бы сделать в настоящее время (Arabic)

Similar Idioms

• call of the wild

• tip of the iceberg

• point out