Meaning
To relieve initial social tension in a new situation.
Primary Function
Social initiation.
Communicative Purpose
To make people feel more comfortable.
Pattern
break the ice
Core Structure
break the ice
Função primária
Social initiation.
Propósito comunicativo
To make people feel more comfortable.
Situações de gatilho
First meetings, parties, networking events.
Contextos
Social gatherings, classrooms, business events.
Padrão
break the ice
Estrutura central
break the ice
Slots de substituição
none
Colocados típicos
- help to
- a joke to
- try to
Substituições comuns
- kick things off (more action-oriented)
Erros comuns
*break ice* (needs determiner)
Similar / contraste
get the ball rolling, warm up the crowd
Interferências
Not about freezing water.
Família do chunk
- Social opening idioms
Nuance
Friendly, purposeful.
Efeito pragmático
Lowers social barriers.
Dica de memória
Ship breaking ice to open a passage.
Nota
This expression is used to describe actions that help people feel more comfortable in new social settings.
Upgrade path
strike up a conversation (more precise)
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