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
Radoslav	rah-dah-SLAHF (Russian)	Czech, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Medieval Slavic
Lauren	LAWR-ən	English
Bastian	BAHS-tee-ahn	German
Jaylon	JAY-lən	African American (Modern)
Izzy	IZ-ee	English
Helmfrid	-	Ancient Germanic