THE MOST COMMON IDIOMS

a blessing in disguise
a good thing that seemed bad at first
Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.

a drop in the ocean

a very small amount compared to the amount needed
My letter of protest was just a drop in the ocean.

a late bloomer
someone who develops later on in life, either physically or mentally
At school she was a late bloomer, and it wasn’t until she went to college that her talents became apparent.

a penny for your thoughts

I would like to know what you are thinking
You haven’t said much – a penny for your thoughts.

a picture is worth a thousand words

a picture tells a story just as well as, if not better than, written words
Please could you sketch out a floorplan? A picture is worth a thousand words.

a piece of cake
really easy
That exam was a piece of cake.

a ray of sunshine
sb/sth that brings joy or happiness to others
My dog is a little ray of sunshine.

a shrinking violet
someone who is shy and doesn’t like to share their opinions
I am no shrinking violet when it comes to sharing my opinions.

actions speak louder than words

what someone actually does means more than what they say they will do
I’m going to wait for him to show me he loves me because actions speak louder than words.

add fuel to the fire / add insult to injury

to act in a way that makes a bad situation worse
Don’t tell her about the delays – you’ll just be adding fuel to the fire.
I was late and, to add salt to injury, I forgot my keys.

all ears
fully listening
Let me finish hanging out the washing and then I’ll be all ears.

as cheap as chips
really cheap
Don’t worry about paying me back – they were as cheap as chips!

as fresh as daisy
not at all tired
She always seems to be (as) fresh as a daisy.

barking up the wrong tree

to be wrong about the way to achieve something or the reason for something
I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. Rather than reading the textbook cover to cover, you should try the SQRRR method.

be a good catch
be someone worth marrying/having
Donald is such a good catch. I hope he’ll propose soon.

be a picture of health
to be a great example of good health
She was struggling with an illness, but now she is a picture of health.

be/feel as fit as a fiddle

to be/feel very healthy
I feel as fit as a fiddle! I might go for a job later.

be black and blue

to have quite a few bruises
He was black and blue when he returned home from the fight.
be buzzing
to be enthusiastic, happy
I’ve just booked my tickets to Spain, and I am positively buzzing.

be hanging by a thread
close to a situation becoming very serious or death
She is hanging on by a thread. There is still hope, but it is not looking very good.

be happy as Larry
to be really, really happy
A. Does John like his new job? B. Yes, he is happy as Larry!

be in low spirits
to feel sad or dejected
After losing the competition, the team was in low spirits.

be on top of the world

to be really happy, delighted
I was on top of the world when I found I had graduated from university with a first-class degree.

be over the moon

to be really happy
Last Thursday, I passed my driving test, and I was over the moon because I had to try three times!

be/look/feel under the weather

to be/look/feel unwell
I feel a bit under the weather at the moment.

beat around the bush

to avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable
I’m not going to beat around the bush – I hate your boyfriend.

bend over backwards

to do whatever it takes to help someone
Our company is bending over backwards to satisfy our customers.

better late than never

it is better for someone or something to be late than never to arrive or to happen
WoW! She finally turned up! Better late than never!

bite off more than you can chew

to try to do something that is too difficult or too much for you
We bit off more than we could chew in our original reform proposals.

bite the bullet

to force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult, or to be brave in a difficult situation
I hate going to the dentist, but I’ll just have to bite the bullet.

blow sb away
to surprise someone very much
Winning first prize and a full scholarship blew her away.

blow smoke
to intentionally confuse, deceive or mislead someone
It was time to see if Sam was just blowing smoke or if he actually had some useful information for us.

break a leg
good luck
Break a leg tonight! You’re an amazing actor!

break the ice

to make people who have not met before, feel more relaxed with each other
Someone suggested that we play a party game to break the ice.

brighten one’s day

to improve someone’s day/ make someone happy
Whenever I see a smile on my kid’s face, it always brightens my day.

by the skin of one’s teeth

to only just succeed at something by a narrow margin
I think I might have passed that exam by the skin of my teeth.

call it a day
to stop what you are doing because you don’t want to do any more or think you have done enough
I’m getting a bit tired now – let’s call it a day.

cold feet
(to suddenly feel) nervous about doing something that you had planned to do
I hope he doesn’t get cold feet before the wedding.

come up/out smelling of roses

to emerge from a situation with one’s reputation undamaged
The scandal could have ruined her reputation, but she came up smelling of roses.

cost an arm and a leg

to be very expensive
That coat looks like it cost you an arm and a leg!

couldn’t care less

have a total lack of interest in something
I couldn’t care less what my new co-workers think of me.

cry one’s eyes/heart out

to cry a lot
She cried her eyes out when she lost her cat.

cry over spilled/spilt milk

complain about a loss from the past
It’s a waste of time crying over spilt milk; you just have to move on with your life.

cry wolf
call for help when you don’t need it
My new flatmate is constantly crying wolf.

crunch time
a point at which something difficult must be done
He plays well without pressure, but can he produce at crunch time?

curiosity killed the cat

get into an unpleasant situation by being inquisitive
He shouldn’t have searched for the secret files. Curiosity killed the cat.

cut corners
to do something in the fastest, easiest or cheapest way
This report is of poor quality – I think the author may have cut some corners.

cut somebody some slack

to give someone additional freedom
Because it was the last day of class, the teachers cut the students some slack.

cut to the chase

leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point
To cut to the chase – I’m not comfortable working alongside John anymore.

dig in your heels / stick to your guns

refuse to compromise or change your mind
My parents always wanted me to become a lawyer, but I dug in my heels and started my own travel business.

don’t give up the day job

used for telling somebody that you don’t think they’re very good at something
Your drum solo was very entertaining, but don’t give up the day job.

down to the wire

something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds
With the deadline coming up, the team worked right down to the wire to complete the project on time.

drive someone up the wall

to irritate or annoy very much
The music my co-workers listen to at the office is driving me up the wall.

easy does it
used to tell someone to do something carefully and slowly
Easy does it! Don’t spill that paint!

every cloud has a silver lining

every negative has a positive
Every cloud has a silver lining – after being made redundant I found my dream job!

get a taste of your own medicine

get treated the way you’ve been treating other people
The nasty prison warden got a taste of his own medicine after being thrown in jail.

get out of hand

to become difficult to control
Over Christmas, our spending got a little out of hand.

get one’s head around something

to come to understand something
I just can’t get my head around the fact that my boss is not giving me a raise.

get something off your chest

to tell someone what’s been on your mind
I need to get it off my chest and teel her I am unhappy.

get something out of your system

to get rid of a wish or emotion, especially a negative one, by allowing yourself to express it
I went and bought that dress I was thinking about all day – I had to get it out of my system!

get your act together

to start to organise yourself so that you do things in an effective way
My desk is a complete mess. I need to get my act together!

give/lend someone a hand

to help
If you need any help, I can lend you a hand.

give someone the benefit of the doubt

to decide that you will believe someone, even if you are not sure that what they’re saying is true
She said she was late because her train was cancelled, and we gave her the benefit of the doubt.

give someone the cold shoulder

to ignore someone
I think Sally is giving me the cold shoulder.

go back to the drawing board

to start planning something again because the first plan failed
Well, that didn’t work! Let’s go back to the drawing board.

go down in flames
end or fail suddenly and spectacularly
Our company will go down in flames, if we don’t take these new start-ups seriously.

go the extra mile

to make more effort than is expected of you
He’s a nice guy, always ready to go the extra mile for his friends.

go to seed
to decline in quality or appearance
After having children, he started to go to seed. He didn’t look so good anymore.

go under the knife

to have an operation; undergo cosmetic surgery
I had a really sore leg, but I went under the knife.
She’s gone under the knife quite a bit in the past few years.

good things come to those who wait

be patient
Stop rushing me! Good things come to those who wait.

hang in there
said as a way to tell people to not give up hope, even through difficulties
Final exams are tough but hang in there and it’ll be ok.

have a splitting headache

to have a really bad headache
I had a splitting headache for two days when I was suffering from a migraine.

have a whale of a time

to have a fantastic time
I went to a ball on Saturday with a group of friends, and I had a whale of a time.

have one’s head in the clouds

be unaware or unrealistic about something
He has his head in the clouds if he thinks he will get a pay rise in this economy.

head over heels

deeply or completely in love
She is head over heels with her new puppy.
hear on the grapevine
to hear a rumour or unconfirmed story
I heard on the grapevine that our receptionist will be leaving soon.

hit the books

to study hard, with a high amount of dedication
My brother always waits for the final night before the exam to hit the books.

hit the nail on the head

to get something exactly right
You’ve hit the nail on the head – that is the route we should have taken!

ignorance is bliss
you’re better off not knowing
I could ask my boss if she’s planning to fire me, but ignorance is bliss.

in a nutshell
in the fewest possible words
In a nutshell, everything went wrong.

in over one’s head

taking on a task that one can’t handle
I am completely in over my head in my new teaching position.

it takes one to know one

you’re just as bad as I am
You’re such a gossip! It takes one to know one!

it takes two to tango

actions or communications need more than one person
Don’t just blame him for the affair – it takes two to tango.

it’s not rocket science

used to say that you don’t think something is very difficult or hard to understand
I don’t understand how you can’t work out how to use the washing machine! It’s not rocket science!

judge a book by its cover

judge someone or something based solely on appearance
I really disliked the product’s packaging. But you can’t judge a book by its cover.

jump on the bandwagon

to join an activity, trend or opinion that has become popular
Many farms are jumping on the bandwagon and advertising organically grown food.

keep an eye on sb/sth

to watch or monitor usually in a protective way
Can you keep an eye on my bike whilst I nip into the post office?

keep one’s chin up

to keep one’s spirits high, to try to be cheerful
I’m trying to keep my chin up after receiving that rejection letter.

keep one’s eye on the ball

to give your attention to what you are doing at the time
She really needs to keep her eye on the ball if she wants to win the election.

kick in the teeth

used when someone treats you badly or unfairly, especially after you have made a significant effort
When he ignored me after I helped him it was a real kick in the teeth.

kill two birds with one stone

get two things done with a single action
By cycling to work I kill two birds with one stone. It saves me money and I get to work out.

learn/know (off) by heart

to memorise
I know the Harry Potter books off by heart.

leave no stone unturned

try every possible course of action in order to get something done
He left no stone unturned in his search for his natural mother.

let one’s hair down

to relax; to have fun
She needs to let her hair down. She is always so stressed.

let sleeping dogs lie

to leave a situation as it is, in order to not make it worse
I think we should let sleeping dogs lie and avoid confronting her about her issues.

let someone off the hook

to allow (someone who has been caught doing something wrong or illegal) to go unpunished
This is the third time you’ve been caught speeding and I don’t think they’re going to let you off the hook.

let the cat out of the bag

to reveal a secret
Don’t let the cat out of the bag because the party is meant to be a surprise!

make a long story short

used when you are explaining what happened in a few words, without giving all the details
To make a long story short, I cancelled the party because of financial problems.

make one’s blood boil

make extremely angry
The way they have treated those people makes my blood boil.

miss the boat

to be too slow to take advantage of an opportunity
I waited too long for the house prices to drop, and I missed the boat.

my lips are sealed

your secret is safe with me
My lips are sealed. I have no idea how much that dress cost…

neck of the woods

the area where someone comes from, or the area where you are
I’m surprised to see you in this neck of the woods.

nip something in the bud

to stop something at an early stage
If you see yourself developing a bad habit, try and nip it in the bud before it becomes ingrained.

no bed of roses
difficult, not easy
Gaining UK citizen ship is no bed of roses.

no spring chicken
no longer young
My grandfather is no spring chicken, but he still exercises daily.

no pain, no gain
suffering is necessary in order to achieve something
I’ve been going to the gym twice a day and my muscles ache – but no pain, no gain!

not one’s cup of tea

someone doesn’t like or isn’t interested in something
I’m sorry but line-dancing really isn’t my cup of tea.

not the brightest bulb in the box/ not the sharpest knife in the drawer/ not the sharpest tool in the shed
not smart, not the brightest
She’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but she isn’t dishonest.

off the top of one’s head

from memory, without a lot of thought or consideration
Off the top of my head, I think she’s been engaged 5 times.

on the ball
alert to new ideas, methods and trends
I like hanging out with younger people – it keeps me on the ball.

on thin ice
on probation - if you make another mistake, there will be trouble
I’m on thin ice after my behaviour at the office party.

once in a blue moon

rarely, very infrequently
I only go to the cinema once in a blue moon, but when I do go, I really enjoy it.

oops a daisy
an expression used to indicate surprise
A. You left the front door open! B. Oops a daisy!

out of someone’s league

too good or expensive for someone to have
My crush is completely out of my league.

over my dead body

you cannot do that until I am dead
Over my dead body! I will never let you drive my car.

pat on the back

recognition/ thank you
I think I deserve a pat on the back after all of my hard work today.

play devil’s advocate

to argue the opposite, just for the sake of argument
I don’t want to play devil’s advocate but are you really going out dressed like that?

play something by ear

to plan something in an improvised way, deciding what to do as the plan develops
Instead of booking a table this weekend, shall we just play it by ear?

pull a rabbit out of a hat

do something unexpected
I thought there was no fix to the software bug, but our programmer pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

pull someone’s leg

joke or tease someone
Are you actually leaving your job or are you pulling my leg?

pull yourself together

recover control of your emotions
I need to pull myself together and stop crying!

pushing up the daisies

dead
My late uncle Malcom is pushing up the daisies.

put all your eggs in one basket

to depend for success on a single person or plan
I’m applying for several jobs because I don’t want to put all of my eggs in one basket.

rain on someone’s parade

to spoil something
I don’t want to rain on your parade, but I think you’ve made a huge mistake in your thesis.

rock the boat

to do or say something that could cause a problem or disturbance
The team is getting on really well at the moment so let’s not rock the ball.

rub salt into the wound

to make a painful experience even more painful
He dumped me and then, to rub salt into the wound, he started dating my sister!

rule of thumb
general, basic rule (not always right/followed)
As a rule of thumb, a cup of coffee contains about 80mg of caffeine.

run on fumes
continue to stay awake when feeling exhausted
I haven’t slept for twenty hours and I’m running on fumes.

save something for a rainy day

to save something (usually money) for when you need it
I think you should save that bonus for a rainy day.

see eye to eye

to agree on something
I really don’t see eye to eye with my grandma.
Her parents didn’t see eye to eye on her education.

sell somebody out

to snitch on someone or let their secret out
I asked you to keep this information to yourself. I can’t believe you sold me out like that!

shed light on something

to reveal information about or to clarify something
Please, could you shed some light on your absence yesterday?
shoot from the hip
speak directly
I you want to get on well with your new boss, try not to shoot from the hip next time.

sit/stay/be on the fence

to avoid making a decision or choice; to stay neutral and not take sides
I am sitting on a fence; I really can’t choose between these two adorable puppies.

sit tight
refrain from taking action or changing one’s mind
The estate agent advised us to sit tight and neither buy nor sell.

skeleton crew
the minimum number of people needed to keep a service/office operating
Can you please come to the office this weekend? We’re operating with a skeleton crew at the moment.

smell a rat
to begin to suspect trickery or deception
When she passed away, investigators were called in and soon smelt a rat.

smell the roses

to appreciate what is often ignored
Every morning, I like to stop and smell the roses and take my dog on a walk.

spring fever
the feeling of restlessness just before summer
I am getting spring fever – who wants to have a picnic?

so far so good
used to say that something (such as a plan or project) is progressing well with no problems up to the present
How is the new job? So far so good!

someone wouldn’t be caught dead

someone dislikes something very much
I wouldn’t be caught dead in a dress like that!

someone’s heart is in the right place

someone only has good intentions
He is very strict with his students, but his heart is in the right place.

someone’s jaw drops

someone is very surprised
When I saw him in his suit, my jaw dropped!

someone’s pride and joy

a person or thing that gives someone a lot of satisfaction and happiness
Her vegetable garden is her pride and joy.

someone’s true colours

the kind of person someone really is rather than what they appear be
I thought he was really nice, but then he was rude to the waiter and showed his true colours.

something rings the bell

something is familiar or that you’ve heard something before
I don’t know him personally, but the name rings a bell.

spare (someone) the details

to not tell someone all the unpleasant or boring details about something
Spare me the details and cut to the chase. What are you going to do about this huge error?

speak of the devil

said when a person appears just after being mentioned
Stephanie is so mean. Speak of the devil – she’s just liked my Instagram post!

spill the beans

to give away a secret or to reveal some gossip
Go on, spill the beans! I need to know how your date went!

steal someone’s thunder

to take attention or praise away from someone else’s accomplishments by outdoing them with your own
She stole my thunder when she announced her pregnancy at my wedding!

step up one’s game

start performing better
If you really want to get this promotion, you’ll have to seriously step up your game.
stick to one’s guns
to refuse to change your opinions or beliefs about something
You need to stick to your guns and stop listening to what he says.

sweet tooth
a love for sweet things
I have a sweet tooth – I can’t say no to cookies.

take a tumble
to have fallen over
I’ve taken a tumble, and now I am black and blue.

take a turn for the better

to improve in condition
The doctor said she would be in hospital for 3 months, but she took a turn for the better and returned home the next day.

take a turn for the worse

to be more ill or sick than one was previously
I had a cold, but then I took a turn for the worse and I had to go to hospital.

take something with a pinch/grain of salt

to not take something too seriously
I think you need to take anything that Martin says with a pinch of salt.

take the mickey

to make fun of
Are you taking the mickey of my mum?

the ball is in your court

it’s your decision
The ball is in your court regarding the location of the next event.

the best of both worlds

a situation in which you can enjoy the advantages of two different things
She works in the city but lives in the countryside, so she can enjoy the best of both worlds.

the best thing since sliced bread

a really great invention
The spork is the best thing since slice bread!

the devil is in the details

it looks good from afar, but when you look more closely, there are problems
The illustrations looked fine at first glance, but the devil is in the details.

the early bird gets the worm

the people who arrive first will get the best stuff
Let’s head to the sales at 6am – the early bird gets the worm!

the elephant in the room

the big issue, the problem that people are avoiding
I think we should address the elephant in the room – your hideous shoes.

the grass is always greener on the other side

other people have it better than you, although that may not be true
I got a new job thinking the grass would be greener on the other side, but I am still not happy.

the last straw

the last in the series of unpleasant events that makes you feel like you can’t continue
She’s always been rude to me, but it was the last straw when she started insulting my mother.

there are plenty more fish in the sea

it’s ok to miss this opportunity because others will arise
Just forget about him – there are plenty more fish in the sea!

there’s a method to someone’s madness

someone appears crazy but actually they have a plan
My bedroom seems messy but there is method to my madness.

there’s no such thing as a free lunch

nothing is entirely free
I wonder what he wants from me. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

through thick and thin

under all circumstances, no matter how difficult
He stuck with her through thick and thin.
to throw caution to the wind
take a risk
I think you should throw caution to the wind and go on that date!

to make matters worse

with the result that a bad situation is made worse
She accidentally sent a romantic message to her family WhatsApp group, and to make matters worse, it included a picture.

twist someone’s arm

to convince someone to do what you want
I didn’t want to go out tonight, but Felicity twisted my arm.

under the weather

slightly unwell or in low spirits
I don’t think I’ll come tonight because I’m feeling a bit under the weather.

up in the air
(of a plan or issue) still to be settled; unresolved
The fate of our house purchase is still up in the air.

wash one’s hands of something

to stop dealing with an issue or problem
I’m washing my hands of him. He causes too many problems.

we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it

an expression that means you will not worry about a possible future problem but will deal with it if it happens
Don’t worry about the car breaking down – we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

whole nine yards

everything
I’ll do whatever it takes to make my venture a successful one – I’ll go the whole nine yards.

with flying colours

successfully, without any mistakes
Congratulations, Liam! You’ve passed your final exam with flying colours!

wrap your head around something

to find a way to understand or accept something
I still can’t wrap my head around why she would do that.

you can say that again

used to express emphatic agreement
A. The weather has been terrible. B. You can say that again!

you can’t have your cake and eat it too

you can’t have everything
You need to choose between the two options – you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

you live and you learn

you learn from your mistakes
I know I failed the interview, but you live and you learn.

your guess is as good as mine

to not know something
We don’t have enough data. Your guess is as good as mine.