one thing led to another
Events kept cascading
A phrase explaining how a sequence of events unfolded without detailing each step, implying that the progression was natural or inevitable.
It often glosses over specifics the speaker doesn't want to explain, frequently with sexual implications: We started talking at the bar, one thing led to another, and I woke up at her place.
The phrase can also describe any chain of causation: I missed my alarm, one thing led to another, and I got fired.
- triggerWhat initiates action
- domino effectSequential causation phenomenon
- plot twistSudden narrative redirection
- twist of fateUnexpected reversal of fortune
- causeWhat produces an effect
serendipity · sequence · mishap · ripple effect · development · turning point · sliding doors moment · snowballing · slippery slope · instigation · effect · catalyst · interconnectedness · propagation · cascading · evolution · unintended consequences · accident
one thing led to anotherrandom occurrence
coincidence · out of the blue · out of nowhere · bolt from the blue · freak accident
one thing led to anotherstep by step
In ordered stages
blow by blow · chapter and verse · the whole nine yards · from start to finish