A bump in the road is a temporary difficulty: annoying but not serious, and things go on. The missing permit was a bump in the road: the exhibition simply opened a week later. People often say just a bump in the road to reassure someone that it isn't the end.
When would you say a bump in the road?
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hit a bump in the road; a few bumps in the road; just a bump in the road
- The missing permit was a bump in the road, but the exhibition opened a week later.
- We hit a few bumps in the road while training the new team.
- One cancelled session is a bump in the road, not the end of the project.
What changed
First versionThe delay was a bump on the road to finishing the film.
RevisionThe delay was a bump in the road to finishing the film.
Cars drive on the road, so a bump on the road looks logical. But the idiom uses in: a bump in the road. Swap on for in, and you have the fixed expression.
A dead end means you can't go any further this way. A bump in the road is something you get past: It's a bump in the road, not the end of the project. In neutral writing, a temporary setback works.
Your turn
Complete the idiom for a setback: We hit a bump ___ the road.
Show the answer
in — The idiom is fixed with in: a bump in the road. On the road sounds literal, about a real road.
Describe a small setback in your studies or a project, after which things carried on. Use a bump in the road.
The broken printer was a bump in the road; we finished the invitations at the library.
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