When the weather outdoors gets warmer , flowers appear and birds become more active . Spring has sprung ! Sometimes these changes in nature seem to happen overnight . You go to bed , and the next morning you awake to a new world – one that is greener and more colorful . The same can be said for expressions that use the word “spring .” English speakers use them to describe things that happen quickly and without much warning . Now , one of the fastest growing things in nature is the mushroom . One day mushrooms are nowhere to be found and the next day there is a whole crop of them ! So , when something happens suddenly and often over a large area , we can say it springs up like mushrooms . Here is one way to use this expression . After videos about making cupcakes became popular online , stores specializing in cupcakes “sprang up like mushrooms ” all over town . Now , some people like mushrooms . And some people don't . Not to worry ! You can drop the “mushroom ” and simply say , “spring up .” For example , when the large company set up shop in the small town , new houses sprang up seemingly overnight . We often use the term “to spring ” to describe anything that happens without warning . So , if I spring something on you , I tell you with no warning . Many people do not like to have important news sprung on them . They want time to prepare themselves . So , we sometimes use the expression “to spring ” as a warning . For example , “You can't just spring something like that on me ! We need to talk about it first !” If someone springs big news on you without warning , the news comes to you from out of the blue . When people break news to you this way , it can leave you speechless at first . If you have an important announcement or big news , you need to prepare the person . This is a way of breaking big news with a warning . Recently , a good friend of mine told me she was getting married . But she did not even tell me that she was in a relationship ! She must have realized how surprised I was . So , she apologized for springing her happy news on me out of the blue like that . Now , her happy news is private . So , she can share it with others or not share it , however she likes . But what if the news involves other people ? That is when springing it on someone is a bit more complex . Let's say two people , Tara and Sam , own a business together . The company is called Tara & Sam's Roof Repair . They had been building their company for a few years and were finally starting to make a profit . Then one day , Tara sprang big news on Sam . She was moving to Alaska … in a week ! She wanted out of the business . Sam was not prepared for any of this . A few weeks earlier , they had made plans for growing their client base . He asked , “A week ? How can you spring this news on me ? I've spent time away from my family to build this business !” Sam was shocked and angry . But then he saw an opportunity . He asked his son to join the company . They renamed it Sam & Son's Roof Repair and soon their business was doing even better than before . And they were able to spend more time together . The next time you have big news to share , remember not to spring it on someone -- well , unless you want them to be shocked . In that case … spring away !