cross the Thames
Alternative form of swim the Thames.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He decided to cross the Thames on a dare.”
“During the charity event, many brave swimmers attempted to cross the Thames despite the cold water.”
“The athlete trained for months, determined to cross the Thames as part of his grueling open-water swimming challenge.”
The idiom is a variant of cross the Tiber, formed by the substitution of London’s river Thames for Rome’s river Tiber.
- 01
come home by weeping cross
To return in disappointment, or in a spirit of contrition.
- 02
cross my heart
A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.
- 03
cross my heart and hope to die
Added to a promise or a statement to show how serious one was about being honest in what one said
- 04
cross of gold
A public policy which puts the interests of the rich ahead of those of the poor.
- 05
cross off
To strike out; to cross out; to draw a line through.
- 06
cross out
To strike out (something); to draw a line through (something).
- 07
cross paths
To be, by chance, in the same physical place at the same time, as a result of two completely separate journeys; to encounter or meet each other.
- 08
cross someone's palm
To pay for goods or a service.
Last updated August 10, 2026