hold that thought: Idiom Meaning and Origin
What does ‘hold that thought’ mean?
The idiom "hold that thought" means to ask someone to temporarily stop speaking or delay a discussion until one is ready to continue or listen further.
Idiom Explorer
In everyday speech, the idiom "on hold" is widely used to refer to the act of temporarily suspending or pausing something or someone. It goes beyond its literal sense of placing a phone call on hold and can be applied to various situations and contexts.
The idiom "leave it at that" means to stop or conclude a discussion or action at a certain point and not continue any further.
The idiom "leave it at that" is commonly used in English language to indicate that something should not be pursued further or disturbed. It is synonymous with phrases like "stop," "end," or "conclude." However, it carries additional nuances that contribute to its overall richness.
The idiom "keep someone on ice" means to delay or postpone something, typically a decision or action involving someone, usually to wait and see how a situation develops before taking any further action.
The idiom "hold the phone" is used to tell someone to wait or pause because new information or a change in plans has occurred.
The idiom "hold the phone" is a commonly used expression in the English language. It is often used to mean "wait" or "stop for a moment."
The idiom "hold the line" means to remain in a current position or keep a situation stable, often in the face of difficulty or opposition.
The idiom "hold the floor" means to continue speaking or dominating a conversation or discussion, often preventing others from speaking or interrupting.
The idiom "hold the floor" is an expression commonly used in the English language. It is derived from the literal meaning of controlling the conversation or discussion, particularly in a public setting.
The idiom "hold over" means to delay or postpone something. It can be used to describe the continuation of a person's term in office or the extension of a deadline or appointment.
The idiom "hold onto your hat" means to prepare oneself for something surprising or exciting that is about to happen. It is often used to indicate that someone should be ready for a fast or unpredictable experience.
The idiom "hold one's water" means to have self-control and not give in to the urge to urinate. It is often used in informal settings to ask someone to be patient and wait.
Untap Mental Potential
The idiom "hold off" is closely related to "hold that thought." While "hold that thought" is typically used to temporarily pause or delay a line of thinking or discussion, "hold off" is used to postpone or delay an action or decision. Both idioms convey the idea of waiting, but with slightly different nuances.
When someone says "hold off," they are essentially asking for a delay or postponement. This can be applied to a wide range of situations, such as holding off on making a purchase, holding off on starting a project, or holding off on taking a certain course of action. The intention behind "hold off" is to allow for more time or to gather more information before proceeding.
Using the phrase "hold off" in conjunction with "hold that thought" can create a natural flow in conversations or discussions. For example, if someone is in the middle of sharing their thoughts or ideas, but there is a need to pause and gather more information, they can say "hold off on that thought for a moment while I look up some additional details." This combination of idioms emphasizes the importance of both temporarily delaying a train of thought and postponing actions or decisions until further information is available.
The idiom "on hold" is another related phrase that can be integrated into the discussion of "hold that thought." While "hold that thought" primarily focuses on pausing or delaying a specific thought or idea, "on hold" refers to a more general state of temporary suspension or waiting. It is often used to describe a situation in which progress or action is put on hold for various reasons.
When something is "on hold," it implies that there is a temporary delay or interruption, but with the expectation of eventually resuming or addressing the matter. This can apply to a wide range of scenarios, such as putting a project on hold, putting someone on hold during a phone call, or putting a plan on hold until a later time.
Integrating the phrase "on hold" into a conversation or discussion that involves "hold that thought" can create a coherent and comprehensive dialogue. For instance, someone could say, "Let's put that idea on hold for now and address the urgent matter at hand first. We can come back to it later once everything is resolved." By using both idioms in this way, it becomes clear that "hold that thought" pertains to a specific idea or line of thinking, while "on hold" refers to a broader concept of delaying actions or plans.
While "hold that thought" focuses on temporarily pausing or delaying a specific line of thinking or discussion, "hold off" and "on hold" relate to the concepts of postponing actions or decisions and experiencing temporary suspension or waiting, respectively. These related idioms can be seamlessly integrated into conversations or discussions where the need for temporary delays or interruptions arise.
Example usage
Examples of how the idiom *hold that thought* can be used in a sentence:
- Hold that thought, I need to grab a pen before I forget what you just said.
- You have an interesting point, but let's hold that thought until we gather more information.
- Before we continue the discussion, please hold that thought while I answer this phone call.
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