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 disguise a good thing that seemed bad at first as part of a

sentence

A dime a dozen Something common as part of a

sentence

Beat around the bush Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it as part of a
is uncomfortable sentence

Better late than never Better to arrive late than not to come at all by itself

Bite the bullet To get something over with because it is as part of a

inevitable sentence

Break a leg Good luck by itself

Call it a day Stop working on something as part of a

sentence

Cut somebody some slack Don't be so critical as part of a

sentence

Cutting corners Doing something poorly in order to save time as part of a

or money sentence

Easy does it Slow down by itself

Get out of hand Get out of control as part of a

sentence

Get something out of your Do the thing you've been wanting to do so you as part of a
Idiom Meaning Usage

system can move on sentence

Get your act together Work better or leave by itself

Give someone the benefit of Trust what someone says as part of a

the doubt sentence

Go back to the drawing board Start over as part of a

sentence

Hang in there Don't give up by itself

Hit the sack Go to sleep as part of a

sentence

It's not rocket science It's not complicated by itself

Let someone off the hook To not hold someone responsible for as part of a
something sentence

Make a long story short Tell something briefly as part of a

sentence

Miss the boat It's too late as part of a

sentence

No pain, no gain You have to work for what you want by itself

On the ball Doing a good job as part of a

sentence

Pull someone's leg To joke with someone as part of a

sentence

Pull yourself together Calm down by itself

Idiom Meaning Usage

So far so good Things are going well so far by itself

Speak of the devil The person we were just talking about showed by itself
up!

That's the last straw My patience has run out by itself

The best of both worlds An ideal situation as part of a

sentence

Time flies when you're having You don't notice how long something lasts by itself
fun when it's fun

To get bent out of shape To get upset as part of a

sentence

To make matters worse Make a problem worse as part of a

sentence

Under the weather Sick as part of a

sentence

We'll cross that bridge when Let's not talk about that problem right now by itself
we come to it

Wrap your head around Understand something complicated as part of a

something sentence

You can say that again That's true, I agree by itself

Your guess is as good as mine I have no idea by itself

Examples of Jargon:
1. I need a script in order to pick up the medicine. (medical jargon for "prescription")

2. I need a nurse to room 12 stat. (medical jargon for "in a hurry")

3. Your objection is overruled. (legal jargon)

4. We need to take data points to determine if there has been a response to the intervention.
(educational jargon)

5. The suspect is headed west on Route 10. All available units, respond. (police jargon)

SLANG
Marites

Move over, Gossip Girl. For the hottest chismis, look no further than your neighborhood marites! The
marites is the embodiment of every nosy tita eager to share the tastiest tidbits about others. You can
even use the term as a descriptor, such as holding a “marites session” with your pals. There’s no denying
there’s a little bit (or, okay, maybe a LOT) of marites in each of us.

“Dasurv” is probably the most wholesome slang term of the year. It’s exactly what it sounds like – a
sassier version of the word “deserve,” expressed when you think someone (including yourself!) deserves
what they’re getting. In this era of self-care and being more attuned to each other’s mental health,
“dasurv” really, well, deserves to be one of the top terms of 2021.

Chariz

Not all slang appears out of thin air. Case in point: “Chariz” is the latest iteration of “charot,” a term we
should now probably consider as veteran slang. It basically means “just kidding,” a handy word you can
slap on to the end of any sentence to offset any seriousness. You can be as brutally honest and dramatic
as you want to be; all you have to do is add “chariz” at the end to make it a bit more self-effacing.
(Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, though, is up for debate.)
Yarn

Finally, “yarn” evolved from the word “yan” or “iyan,” which people use to express doubt or incredulity,
or to show that they’re pleasantly surprised. “Yarn,” just like “dasurv,” is just much sassier and more fun
to say. It’s likely really confusing for non-Filipino speakers though; it probably looks like we’re a nation
obsessed with knitting.