in the cold light of day
/ɪn ðə ˌkəʊld ˌlaɪt əv ˈdeɪ/NEUTRAL · C1
Meaning
later, when you can think about something calmly
Examples
- 1Quitting my job to travel seemed brilliant at midnight, but in the cold light of day it looked reckless.
- 2In the cold light of day, Maria admitted that the argument had been partly her fault.
- 3That sofa seemed a bargain last night, but in the cold light of day we don't need a third one.
- 4Will the plan still sound sensible in the cold light of day, once everyone has calmed down?
- 5Angry emails often look very different in the cold light of day, so wait before you press send.
Grammar
A fixed phrase: keep the before cold and no article before day. Often with verbs of seeing and thinking, such as look, seem and realise.
More idioms about weather
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →under the weatherfeeling slightly illbreak the iceto help people who have just met feel more relaxeda breath of fresh airsomeone or something new that makes things more excitingthe calm before the storma quiet period just before trouble or great activitytake a rain checkto refuse an invitation politely but suggest another timeevery cloud has a silver liningthere is something good in every bad situation
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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