roll the dice

English

Etymology

Metaphor from the use of dice in gambling games.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

roll the dice (third-person singular simple present rolls the dice, present participle rolling the dice, simple past and past participle rolled the dice)

1. (idiomatic) To take a chance, particularly a risky attempt.
   • 1995 August 13, Christopher Farrell, “Commentary: Media Control Is Narrowing. Should We Worry?”, in Businessweek, retrieved 14 Aug. 2012:

     No one really knows which companies and technologies will come out ahead, so everyone is rolling the dice.

   • 2003, James Siegel, Derailed‎^[1], →ISBN:

     Could we take the chance? Could we roll the dice?

   • 2009 June 15, Tony Karon, “Khamenei: The Power Behind the President”, in Time:

     Whatever comes next, the events of the June 12 presidential election will be remembered as a turning point in Iran's revolutionary history; a moment when Ayatullah Ali Khamenei rolled the dice.

   • 2011 September 3, Jesse Hirsch, “Local Grocery Stores Try to Find Traction in Tough Times”, in New York Times, retrieved 14 Aug. 2012:

     Fresh & Easy is rolling the dice that Ms. Morris’s shopping patterns are not unique.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see roll,‎ dice.

Synonyms

• take a flyer, take a gamble, take a risk

References

• “roll the dice”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.