English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English.

They come up all

the time in both written and spoken English. Because idioms don't always make sense literally, you'll need
to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but
learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare English idioms to the idioms in your own language.

Learning to use common idioms and expressions will make your English sound more native, so it's a
good idea to master some of these expressions. The tables below are organized by how common the
idioms are in American English. You can start by learning the very common English idioms, since these
are the ones you'll encounter regularly watching American movies or TV, or visiting the United States.
When you've mastered those, move on to rest. None of the idioms on this page are unusual or old
fashioned, so you can be confident using any of them with native English speakers from all English-
speaking countries.

THE MOST COMMON ENGLISH IDIOMS

These English idioms are extremely common in everyday conversation in the United States. You will hear
them in movies and TV shows and can use them to make your English sound more like that of a native
speaker. 

Idiom Meaning Usage

A blessing in a good thing that as part of

disguise seemed bad at a
first sentence

A dime a Something as part of

dozen common a
sentence

Beat around Avoid saying as part of

the bush what you mean, a
usually because sentence
it is
uncomfortable

Better late Better to arrive by itself

than never late than not to
come at all

Bite the To get something as part of

bullet over with a
Idiom Meaning Usage

because it is sentence
inevitable

Break a leg Good luck by itself

Call it a day Stop working on as part of

something a
sentence

Cut Don't be so as part of

somebody critical a
some slack sentence

Cutting Doing something as part of

corners poorly in order to a
save time or sentence
money

Easy does it Slow down by itself

Get out of Get out of control as part of

hand a
sentence

Get Do the thing as part of

something you've been a
out of your wanting to do so sentence
system you can move on

Get your act Work better or by itself

together leave

Give Trust what as part of

someone the someone says a
Idiom Meaning Usage

benefit of the sentence

doubt

Go back to Start over as part of

the drawing a
board sentence

Hang in Don't give up by itself

there

Hit the sack Go to sleep as part of

a
sentence

It's not It's not by itself

rocket complicated
science

Let someone To not hold as part of

off the hook someone a
responsible for sentence
something

Make a long Tell something as part of

story short briefly a
sentence

Miss the It's too late as part of

boat a
sentence

No pain, no You have to work by itself

gain for what you want
Idiom Meaning Usage

On the ball Doing a good job as part of

a
sentence

Pull To joke with as part of

someone's someone a
leg sentence

Pull yourself Calm down by itself

together

So far so Things are going by itself

good well so far

Speak of the The person we by itself

devil were just talking
about showed up!

That's the My patience has by itself

last straw run out

The best of An ideal situation as part of

both worlds a
sentence

Time flies You don't notice by itself

when you're how long
having fun something lasts
when it's fun

To get bent To get upset as part of

out of shape a
sentence
 Idiom Meaning Usage

To make Make a problem as part of

matters worse a
worse sentence

Under the Sick as part of

weather a
sentence

We'll cross Let's not talk by itself

that bridge about that
when we problem right
come to it now

Wrap your Understand as part of

head around something a
something complicated sentence

You can say That's true, I by itself

that again agree

Your guess I have no idea by itself

is as good
as mine

COMMON ENGLISH IDIOMS &

EXPRESSIONS
These English idioms are used quite regularly in the United States. You may not hear them every day, but
they will be very familiar to any native English speaker. You can be confident using any of them when the
context is appropriate.
Idiom Meaning Usage

A bird in the What you have by itself

hand is worth is worth more
two in the than what you
bush might have later
Idiom Meaning Usage

A penny for Tell me what by itself

your thoughts you're thinking

A penny Money you save by itself

saved is a today you can
penny earned spend later

A perfect the worst as part of

storm possible a
situation sentence

A picture is Better to show by itself

worth 1000 than tell
words

Actions speak Believe what by itself

louder than people do and
words not what they
say

Add insult to To make a bad as part of

injury situation worse a
sentence

Barking up To be mistaken, as part of

the wrong to be looking for a
tree solutions in the sentence
wrong place

Birds of a People who are by itself

feather flock alike are often
together friends (usually
used negatively)

Bite off more Take on a as part of

Idiom Meaning Usage

than you can project that you a

chew cannot finish sentence

Break the ice Make people as part of

feel more a
comfortable sentence

By the skin of Just barely as part of

your teeth a
sentence

Comparing Comparing two as part of

apples to things that a
oranges cannot be sentence
compared

Costs an arm Very expensive as part of

and a leg a
sentence

Do something Do something as part of

at the drop of without having a
a hat planned sentence
beforehand

Do unto Treat people by itself

others as you fairly. Also
would have known as "The
them do unto Golden Rule"
you

Don't count Don't count on by itself

your chickens something good
before they happening until
hatch it's happened.
Idiom Meaning Usage

Don't cry over There's no by itself

spilt milk reason to
complain about
something that
can't be fixed

Don't give up You're not very by itself

your day job good at this

Don't put all What you're by itself

your eggs in doing is too
one basket risky

Every cloud Good things by itself

has a silver come after bad
lining things

Get a taste of Get treated the as part of

your own way you've a
medicine been treating sentence
others
(negative)

Give Ignore someone as part of

someone the a
cold shoulder sentence

Go on a wild To do as part of
goose chase something a
pointless sentence

Good things Be patient by itself

come to those
who wait
Idiom Meaning Usage

He has bigger He has bigger by itself

fish to fry things to take
care of than
what we are
talking about
now

He's a chip The son is like by itself

off the old the father
block

Hit the nail on Get something by itself

the head exactly right

Ignorance is You're better off by itself

bliss not knowing

It ain't over till This isn't over by itself

the fat lady yet
sings

It takes one to You're just as by itself

know one bad as I am

It's a piece of It's easy by itself

cake

It's raining It's raining hard by itself

cats and dogs

Kill two birds Get two things by itself

with one done with a
stone single action
Idiom Meaning Usage

Let the cat Give away a as part of

out of the bag secret a
sentence

Live and learn I made a by itself

mistake

Look before Take only by itself

you leap calculated risks

On thin ice On probation. If as part of

you make a
another sentence
mistake, there
will be trouble.

Once in a Rarely as part of

blue moon a
sentence

Play devil's To argue the as part of

advocate opposite, just for a
the sake of sentence
argument

Put Put a projet on as part of

something on hold a
ice sentence

Rain on To spoil as part of

someone's something a
parade sentence

Saving for a Saving money as part of

rainy day for later a
Idiom Meaning Usage

sentence

Slow and Reliability is by itself

steady wins more important
the race than speed

Spill the Give away a as part of

beans secret a
sentence

Take a rain Postpone a plan as part of

check a
sentence

Take it with a Don’t take it too as part of

grain of salt seriously a
sentence

The ball is in It's your by itself

your court decision

The best A really good as part of

thing since invention a
sliced bread sentence

The devil is in It looks good by itself

the details from a distance,
but when you
look closer,
there are
problems

The early bird The first people by itself

gets the worm who arrive will
get the best
Idiom Meaning Usage

stuff

The elephant The big issue, as part of

in the room the problem a
people are sentence
avoiding

The whole Everything, all as part of

nine yards the way. a
sentence

There are It's ok to miss by itself

other fish in this opportunity.
the sea Others will
arise.

There's a He seems crazy by itself

method to his but actually he's
madness clever

There's no Nothing is by itself

such thing as entirely free
a free lunch

Throw caution Take a risk as part of

to the wind a
sentence

You can't You can't have by itself

have your everything
cake and eat
it too

You can't This person or by itself

judge a book thing may look
Idiom Meaning Usage

by its cover bad, but it's

good inside