🗓️ Idiom: Get Off the Fence (v)
💬 Meaning
- To make a decision after avoiding it for a while.
- It means to stop being unsure and choose a side or take action.
🧠 Example Sentences
- It’s time to get off the fence and choose a solution for the budget issue.
- The manager got off the fence and finally approved the proposal.
- We can’t move forward until leadership gets off the fence.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom comes from the image of someone sitting on a fence, not choosing one side or the other. In business, it refers to avoiding decisions or delays in choosing between options.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
We need to act now. It’s time to __________ and make a choice.
Answer
get off the fence
2. Choose the correct meaning of “get off the fence”:
A) To avoid all responsibility
B) To choose between options after delaying
C) To physically leave a place
D) To stop a meeting early
Answer
B) To choose between options after delaying
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“He was unsure for a long time, but now he’s made his decision.” → Change the sentence using: get off the fence
Answer
He finally got off the fence and made his decision.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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