Would you like to let someone know that they are only scratching the surface of the issue, and that there is much more to see or discuss? The term 'tip of the iceberg' can be the one that you use to apply to this. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The term 'tip of the iceberg' is a type of metaphor that is most often used to refer to any issue that is hiding much more under the surface than what has been discussed or said already.
The most common way to use the metaphor is to say that something is “just the tip of the iceberg”.
The expression implies that the rest of the issue – the metaphorical 'iceberg' that is mentioned in the saying – is still “hidden”.
It's an expression that is said thanks to the fact that what is seen under the surface is only a small part of what's going on under the water. When real icebergs are seen in the water, about 80 to 90% of it is agreed to be underwater.
The expression 'tip of the iceberg' heavily implies that there are things that have not been said or discussed “hidden” like the top of an iceberg that would only stick out of the water's surface.
The negative use of the term is rare though acceptable, and is not used as often.
Usually, the actual context of the iceberg that is being discussed is apparent to most parties in the discussion.
Example Usage
“If you thought the fact that your parents like to put pineapple on their pizza was the biggest issue in their marriage that you could think of, then you should know that it was only the tip of the iceberg.”
“He might play guitar and drums, but he also happens to play the violin too. That's just the tip of the iceberg, and he probably plays the dulcimer as well.”
“The fact that we were out of money was just the tip of the iceberg. We were also out of gas, food and motivation to go on.”
“I consider militant vegetarians the tip of the iceberg when there are so many other things that are wrong in the rest of the world right now.”
Origin
The origin and first use of the term 'tip of the iceberg' is heavily disputed, although a large amount of language resources attribute the term to its early (if not first) usage in the early 1900s.
The term is likely to have had early mentions in American English texts in the 1900s, whereby it soon spread as a common expression thanks to international media.
It is possible that the term experienced a rise in usage after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912: many newspapers would attribute the cause to the 'tip of the iceberg' in a literal sense, and the expression could have entered popular everyday use soon after this.
According to some other language resources that most likely attribute the source to another origin, the term first came into popular use in the 1960s.
The term is at least likely to have originated from the same time which cruises were a popular pastime in the United States: with the literal 'tip of the iceberg' a real danger.
Phrases Similar to Tip of the Iceberg
- Not even the half of it
Phrases Opposite to Tip of the Iceberg
- N/a
What is the Correct Saying?
- [it's just] the tip of the iceberg
- [it's] the tip of the iceberg
Ways People May Say Tip of the Iceberg Incorrectly
The right way to use the term 'tip of the iceberg' is to use it to refer to a situation with hidden information that is not pointed out or discussed.
Someone who does not understand the context of the term could use it in the incorrect way.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Tip of the Iceberg
The correct way to use the term 'tip of the iceberg' is to use the phrase to imply that a part of the issue is not being discussed, or isn't apparent to whom the expression is being said to (or about).