Also: a roll of the dice
To ‘roll the dice’ literally means to roll dice in a game of chance, such as craps.
Roll the Dice Meaning
To roll the dice means to take a chance; to take a risk in the hopes of a fortunate result or gain. As a noun, a roll of the dice is an instance of ‘rolling the dice.’ 1Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.,2”roll the dice.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. 2015. Farlex, Inc 27 May. 2021 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/roll+the+dice
See also: The Die is Cast
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Examples Of Use
“You could roll the dice and ask her on a date or you could just sit around waiting for her to notice you.”
“I say we roll the dice and give it a try.”
“Every time you get in your car after drinking, you roll the dice.”
“Opening a new business in this economic climate is a big roll of the dice.”
“I rolled the dice on a tool brand I haven’t used before. So far, it’s working out well.”
“In business, you have to roll the dice to get ahead. If you’re not willing to take a chance, you shouldn’t be in business.”
“I can’t decide whether I should buy a new computer or roll the dice and get my old one fixed. I’m afraid it will just stop working again in a few weeks.”
Origin
It is unclear how long this idiom has been used as its literal use is so common in early printings. It is derived directly from gambling games such as craps, where players make bets on the outcome of a roll of a pair of dice.
Dice actually have a very long history. Sophocles claimed, in 400 BC that the Greeks invented dice. Dice are believed to have existed as far back as 6,000 BC and have been found in Egyptian tombs dating to 2,000 BC. They weren’t always used to play games, however. They were once used as a method of divination or predicting the future.
The idiom ‘the die is cast‘ also comes from the rolling of dice. Die is the singular form of dice.
More Idioms Starting with R
More Dice Idioms
More Gambling Idioms
More Roll Idioms
Sources
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