test the waters

to try something new We are testing the waters to see if online ads increase sales.

Related vocabulary: float an idea

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of test the waters (to put your toe into water to see how cold it is)

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Vieno	VEE-e-no	Finnish (Rare)
Leo	LE-o (German, Finnish), LAY-o (Dutch), LEE-o (English)	German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Croatian, Late Roman
Adam	A-dəm (English), a-DAWN (French), AH-dahm (German, Polish), AH:-dahm (Dutch), ah-DAHM (Russian, Ukrainian)	English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainia
Bonny	['bɔni]
Tabea	tah-BE-ah	German
Long	[lɔŋ]