Idiom
Get the ball rolling
To get the ball rolling means to start an activity, process or conversation so that it can keep going.
How people use it
People use it when something needs a first push: "Let's get the ball rolling on the party plans," "I'll get the ball rolling by introducing myself." Related forms are start the ball rolling and keep the ball rolling, which means to keep something going. It is informal and positive, and very common at work and in meetings. It is about beginning, not finishing; for wrapping up, people say call it a day.
Also said: start the ball rolling, keep the ball rolling.
Examples
- To get the ball rolling, each of us will share one idea for the school fair.
- Priya offered to get the ball rolling by booking the venue for the reunion.
- Let's get the ball rolling on your passport application before the summer rush.
Where it comes from
The image probably comes from ball games, where play begins when someone puts the ball in motion. Forms like keep the ball rolling and set the ball rolling appear in English writing from the late 1700s and 1800s. The exact source is not known.
Check yourself
1. What does get the ball rolling mean?
Answer: Start something. Get the ball rolling means beginning an activity or process.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Let's get the ball rolling on the holiday plans this week.. Starting holiday plans is beginning a process, which fits the idiom.
Similar idioms
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