break the ice

Etymology
By application of the metaphor that strangers are socially separated by.

Verb

 * 1)  To start to get to know people to avoid social awkwardness and formality.
 * 2)  To introduce conversation.
 * 3) To surmount initial difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning.
 * 1)  To introduce conversation.
 * 2) To surmount initial difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning.
 * 1) To surmount initial difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning.

Translations

 * Arabic:
 * Armenian: սառույցը կոտրել
 * Catalan:
 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin: 打破僵局, 打破冷場,
 * Czech: prolomit ledy
 * Danish: bryde isen
 * Dutch: het ijs breken
 * Finnish:, vapauttaa (tunnelmaa)
 * French:
 * Galician: romper o xeo
 * German:
 * Greek: σπάζω τον πάγο, σπάω τον πάγο
 * Hindi: बात-चीत की औपचारिकता हटाना
 * Hungarian: megtöri a jeget
 * Italian:
 * Japanese: 口火を切る,
 * Korean:
 * Latvian: spert pirmo soli
 * Norwegian: bryte isen
 * Polish: przełamać lody
 * Portuguese:
 * Romanian: sparge gheața
 * Russian: сде́лать пе́рвый шаг, положи́ть нача́ло
 * Spanish:
 * Swedish:
 * Turkish: buzları eritmek, kabuğundan çıkmak, kabuğunu kırmak
 * Ukrainian: ламати лід
 * Vietnamese: