20 IDIOMS!
Here are 20 really useful idioms for you to learn!
1 Water under the bridge
This expression is used to refer to something from the past that is no longer important.
“What’s done is done and there’s nothing we can do about it – it’s all water under the bridge now.”
2 Hit the nail on the head
To describe something perfectly.
“I think you really hit the nail on the head when you said that what we’re lacking is confidence and motivation.”
3 Piece of cake
Something that’s a “piece of cake” is very easy to do.
“That exam was a piece of cake.”
4 You can’t judge a book by its cover
You can’t tell what someone is like from their appearance.
“She comes across as quite cold and hard, but she’s actually quite warm and loving – you can’t judge a book by its cover.”
5 Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Don’t try to do more than you can do.
“I think you need to build the business up slowly and try not to bite off more than you can chew.”
6 Let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret; to tell someone about a secret.
“We’re throwing a party for Michelle tonight, but don’t let the cat out of the bag – it’s supposed to be a surprise!”
7 You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours
You do me a favour and I’ll do you a favour in return.
“If you lend me the money right now, I’ll use my contacts to help you get the job you want – you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”
8 Add insult to injury
If someone “adds insult to injury”, they make a bad situation even worse, often by doing something else bad.
“She arrived an hour late for the dinner party, then, just to add insult to injury, she complained about the food.”
9 Once in a blue moon
Very rarely; not very often.
“With three kids to look after, I only get to go out every once in a blue moon.”
10 See eye to eye
If two people “see eye to eye”, they agree on things and see things the same way.
“There are some moments of tension, but we generally see eye to eye on most things.”
11 Kill two birds with one stone
To manage to do two things at the same time.
“During the trip to Scotland I met up with some old school friends and went to my brother’s wedding – I managed to kill two birds with one stone.”
12 Cut corners
If you “cut corners”, you do something the easiest, quickest or cheapest way. This often affects the quality of the work.
“I don’t think we should cut any corners. We need to produce a quality product for the client if we want to keep them happy.”
13 The last straw
The final problem in a series of problems.
“I knew the company had difficulties, so I accepted all the extra work. However, when they proposed reducing my salary that was the last straw and I quit.”
14 Take what someone says with a pinch of salt
If you “take what someone says with a pinch of salt”, you don’t take it very seriously – often because you don’t believe it.
“I’d take everything she tells you with a pinch of salt – she often exaggerates and frequently lies.”
15 Sit on the fence
If someone is “sitting on the fence”, they don’t take sides in an argument or they avoid making a decision.
“I don’t think you can just sit on the fence over this issue – you have to tell us what you think.”
16 The best of both worlds
If someone wants “the best of both worlds”, they want all the advantages of two different situations.
“She wants to keep her manager’s salary but she doesn’t want any of the responsibilities. She wants the best of both worlds, but that just isn’t possible.”
17 Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
To try to trick or deceive someone into believing something.
“You can’t pull the wool over my eyes. I know what you’re trying to do and you won’t get away with it.”
18 Speak of the devil! / Talk of the devil!
This is something we say when the person we’re talking about appears.
Josh: I heard that Jessica was going to go off to Canada for a year.
Ana: Speak of the devil – that’s Jessica over there, isn’t it?
Josh: Hi, Jessica, we were just talking about you.
19 To give someone the cold shoulder
If someone is “giving you the cold shoulder”, they’re ignoring you or being unfriendly to you, often for no apparent reason.
“I wanted to have a word with Morgan at the party, but he was giving me the cold shoulder. Do you know what’s wrong?”
20 A lot on your plate
If you’ve got “a lot on your plate”, you’ve got a lot of work to do and you’re very busy.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to go to the party this Friday as I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.”
What are Idioms?
Idioms are expressions that are formed by groups of words. Idioms are very visual, colourful forms of language that describe common experiences and situations. The general meaning of the idiom doesn’t usually have much to do with the individual meaning of the words in the idiom. For example: “She’s over the moon!” = She’s very happy.
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