For each idiom, the definition and a sample sentence using it are included.

Idiom Definition Sample Sentence

A short fuse A quick temper. Don’t get the coach mad; he has a very short fuse.

Beat around the To avoid the main topic/not Stop beating around the bush and tell me why
bush speak directly. you’re here.

A fire can happen at any moment, so firemen

Be on your toes Be ready/prepared.
always need to be on their toes.

Breeze through To do something quickly and Don’t worry about the math homework; I’m sure
something easily. you’ll breeze through it.

Butterflies in your Tom always got butterflies in his stomach before

To feel nervous.
stomach giving a speech.

Costs an arm and

Is very expensive. That new purse of hers costs an arm and a leg.
a leg

You need to stop being such a couch potato and

Couch potato Someone who is lazy.
start joining me at the gym.

Cut corners To do something badly to save The architect cut corners on the bridge’s
 time or money. construction, which is why it eventually collapsed.

Cut someone I heard Rachel’s dad is sick, so we should cut her

To go easy on someone.
some slack some slack on this group project.

Erika’s been feeling blue every since her boyfriend

Feeling blue Feeling sad or depressed.
broke up with her.

These days, finding a job that doesn’t require

Finding a needle in
Virtually impossible to find. experience is like trying to find a needle in a
a haystack
haystack.

I have a big exam tomorrow, so I need to get some

Get some shut eye Sleep.
shut eye.

Kelsey has the highest grades in our class since she

Go the extra mile Put in extra effort. always goes the extra mile with homework
assignments.

I know it’s hard waiting for the exam results, but

Hang in there Be patient.
you just need to hang in there.

Hard up Lack money. Ellie knew I was hard up, so she paid for my coffee.
Have a bone to Have something to argue I have a bone to pick with the girl who stole my
pick about. boyfriend from me.

Jump on the To join something that’s I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and listen
bandwagon popular. to that new band everyone is talking about.

Let’s get this show We have everything packed for the road trip, so
Let’s get started!
on the road! let’s get this show on the road!

The surprise party was ruined when my little

Let the cat out of
To tell a secret. brother let the cat out of the bag and told our mom
the bag
about it.

To be crazy. (Often said as a Mrs. Thompson wants all this homework finished
Lose your marbles
joke.) tomorrow? She must have lost her marbles!

Make a long story To make a long story short, my neighbor found my

To get to the point.
short lost dog near the park.

Make your blood

Frighten someone. That new horror movie made my blood run cold.
run cold

Once in a blue Something that happens very Only once in a blue moon will Mr. Smith let us get
moon rarely. out of class early.

On the fence To not have made a decision or I’m on the fence as to whether this new law is a
 formed an opinion yet. good idea.

The math homework has only three questions, so

Piece of cake Something easy to do.
finishing it will be a piece of cake.

You didn’t really believe that, did you? I was just

Pulling one’s leg To joke with someone.
pulling your leg.

Put your foot in Say something you shouldn’t The husband put his foot in his mouth when he told
your mouth have. his wife her dress was ugly.

Raining cats and You absolutely need an umbrella; it’s raining cats
Raining very hard.
dogs and dogs out there!

Read between the To detect a meaning that’s Reading between the lines of this poem you wrote
lines implied but not stated outright. her, it seems as though you like Elizabeth.

I ran into my old kindergarten teacher at the

Run into someone Meet someone unexpectedly.
grocery store today.

Alan was sweating bullets when he asked the girl he

Sweating bullets To be very nervous.
liked to the dance.

I told my little sister she could tag along when we go

Tag along Accompany.
to the beach.
 I have the flu, so I’ll need to take a rain check on
Take a rain check Postpone a plan.
going to the club.

Take it easy Relax. This summer, all I’m going to do is take it easy.

My father doesn’t know anything about cars, so

Take with a grain
Don’t take too seriously. take any advice he gives you about fixing your
of salt
engine with a grain of salt.

If you’re not sure if you want to join the club, you

Test the waters Try something out. can test the waters by just going to the first
meeting.

Way to go! Good job! You got 100% on your chemistry test? Way to go!

For writing:
However, at the end of the day, ….