Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“I tested the waters of traveling with my family last year.”
-Jack Johnson, talking about his plan to bring his family on his entire tour with him this year.
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
tested the waters means tried something out before making a commitment to do it for real
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
I just recently bought a house. It was a really big decision to make. Before I bought the house, I decided to live in it for a while.
I tested the waters before I actually decided to purchase the house. In my opinion, it’s smart to test the waters before you do something permanently.
A lot of my friends tested the waters of marriage by living with their boyfriend or girlfriend first.
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“I wasn’t sure how my parents would react when I told them I wanted to get married. I tested the waters by talking about a friend who had just gotten married.”
“John wanted a promotion at work but was scared to take on a new job. He tested the waters by helping other people do what they did.”
“I tested the waters of living overseas by visiting a friend who lived in Europe for a while. That way I got to see if I liked it there.”