1.
Break the ice
Meaning: To initiate conversation in a social setting and reduce awkwardness.
Examples:
She told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
A few fun questions helped break the ice on the first day of class.
2. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
Examples:
You hit the nail on the head—poor communication is the issue.
His comment about time management really hit the nail on the head.
3. A blessing in disguise
Meaning: Something that seems bad at first but turns out good.
Examples:
Losing that job was a blessing in disguise—I found a better one.
The delay was a blessing in disguise; we avoided the storm.
4. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To reveal a secret unintentionally.
Examples:
She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Don’t let the cat out of the bag—he still doesn’t know.
5. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To do something unpleasant that cannot be avoided.
Examples:
I had to bite the bullet and go to the dentist.
He bit the bullet and admitted his mistake.
6. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick or unwell.
Examples:
I’m staying home today—I’m feeling under the weather.
She was a bit under the weather after her trip.
7. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your decision or responsibility now.
Examples:
I’ve done my part; the ball is in your court.
He offered her the job, and now the ball is in her court.
8. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: To accomplish two things at once.
Examples:
I killed two birds with one stone by picking up groceries while jogging.
By calling her mom while driving, she killed two birds with one stone.
9. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely.
Examples:
I go to the movies once in a blue moon.
We see each other only once in a blue moon now.
10. Piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy to do.
Examples:
That test was a piece of cake.
Cooking this recipe is a piece of cake.
11. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To work late into the night.
Examples:
I burned the midnight oil finishing my project.
She often burns the midnight oil during finals.
12. Hit the sack
Meaning: To go to bed.
Examples:
I’m exhausted—time to hit the sack.
He hit the sack early after the long flight.
13. Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Very expensive.
Examples:
That designer bag cost an arm and a leg.
The repairs cost an arm and a leg, but it’s fixed now.
14. Get cold feet
Meaning: To suddenly become too nervous to do something.
Examples:
She got cold feet before the wedding.
He almost canceled the presentation after getting cold feet.
15. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
Examples:
His comment only added fuel to the fire.
Yelling back just adds fuel to the fire.
16. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble or facing consequences.
Examples:
He’s in hot water with the boss for being late.
She got in hot water after skipping class.
17. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t stir up old problems.
Examples:
Just let sleeping dogs lie and move on.
I didn’t mention the argument—we agreed to let sleeping dogs lie.
18. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: To join others in doing something popular.
Examples:
He jumped on the bandwagon and started using that app.
Everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon of remote work.
19. The tip of the iceberg
Meaning: A small part of a larger issue.
Examples:
These complaints are just the tip of the iceberg.
What you saw is only the tip of the iceberg.
20. On thin ice
Meaning: In a risky or dangerous situation.
Examples:
He’s on thin ice after his last mistake.
You’re on thin ice with your curfew.
21. Back to the drawing board
Meaning: Start over after a failure.
Examples:
The plan failed, so it’s back to the drawing board.
After the rejection, we went back to the drawing board.
22. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Worrying about something that can’t be changed.
Examples:
Don’t cry over spilled milk—just fix it.
It’s no use crying over spilled milk now.
23. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To tease or joke with someone.
Examples:
Are you pulling my leg, or is that true?
He said he won the lottery, but he was pulling my leg.
24. Keep an eye on
Meaning: Watch something carefully.
Examples:
Can you keep an eye on the soup?
I’ll keep an eye on your bag while you shop.
25. Take it with a grain of salt
Meaning: Don’t take something too seriously.
Examples:
I take his advice with a grain of salt.
That rumor? Take it with a grain of salt.
Would you like me to continue with the next 25 idioms?
4o
You said:
yes
ChatGPT said:
Awesome! Here comes the next batch — Idioms #26 to #50, complete with meanings and
everyday example sentences:
26. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up or admit defeat.
Examples:
After years of trying, he finally threw in the towel.
I won’t throw in the towel just yet—there’s still hope.
27. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Very common and not valuable.
Examples:
Cheap souvenirs are a dime a dozen in tourist spots.
Those kinds of apps are a dime a dozen nowadays.
28. Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck (often used in performances).
Examples:
Break a leg at your audition tomorrow!
The director told everyone to break a leg before the play.
29. The elephant in the room
Meaning: An obvious issue that no one wants to talk about.
Examples:
We need to address the elephant in the room—our budget crisis.
They ignored the elephant in the room during the meeting.
30. Spill the beans
Meaning: To reveal a secret.
Examples:
Who spilled the beans about the surprise?
He accidentally spilled the beans during dinner.
31. Up in the air
Meaning: Uncertain or undecided.
Examples:
Our vacation plans are still up in the air.
The outcome of the deal is up in the air.
32. Bend over backwards
Meaning: To try very hard to help someone.
Examples:
She bent over backwards to make them comfortable.
He’s always bending over backwards for his clients.
33. In the same boat
Meaning: In the same bad situation as someone else.
Examples:
We’re all in the same boat after the layoffs.
Students struggling with finals are in the same boat.
34. Burn bridges
Meaning: To destroy relationships or opportunities.
Examples:
Don’t burn bridges with your old boss—you may need a reference.
He burned bridges when he quit without notice.
35. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: To pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action.
Examples:
If you think I broke the vase, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
He’s barking up the wrong tree blaming her.
36. Beat around the bush
Meaning: Avoid saying something directly.
Examples:
Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.
He beat around the bush instead of answering the question.
37. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than what is expected.
Examples:
She always goes the extra mile for her clients.
Our team went the extra mile to finish early.
38. Hit the road
Meaning: To leave or begin a journey.
Examples:
Let’s hit the road before traffic gets bad.
We hit the road at sunrise for our trip.
39. Face the music
Meaning: To accept consequences or criticism.
Examples:
He had to face the music after breaking the rules.
Eventually, you’ll need to face the music.
40. A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: Asking someone what they’re thinking.
Examples:
You’ve been quiet—a penny for your thoughts?
She looked lost in thought, so I asked, “A penny for your thoughts?”
41. Pull yourself together
Meaning: Regain control of your emotions.
Examples:
After the shock, she had to pull herself together.
He pulled himself together and finished the speech.
42. Not one’s cup of tea
Meaning: Not something someone likes.
Examples:
Horror movies are not my cup of tea.
Camping just isn’t her cup of tea.
43. Hit the jackpot
Meaning: To have great success or luck.
Examples:
He hit the jackpot with his new job.
We hit the jackpot finding that deal online.
44. Jump the gun
Meaning: To act too soon or prematurely.
Examples:
Don’t jump the gun—we need more information.
He jumped the gun by announcing it early.
45. Call it a day
Meaning: To stop working for the day.
Examples:
We’ve done enough—let’s call it a day.
She called it a day after finishing the report.
46. On cloud nine
Meaning: Extremely happy.
Examples:
He was on cloud nine after getting engaged.
Winning the contest put her on cloud nine.
47. Read between the lines
Meaning: Understand the hidden meaning.
Examples:
Reading between the lines, I think he’s upset.
You need to read between the lines of that email.
48. Ring a bell
Meaning: Sound familiar.
Examples:
That name rings a bell, but I’m not sure why.
Does this photo ring a bell?
49. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Take on too much responsibility.
Examples:
I bit off more than I could chew taking two jobs.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew during finals.
50. Give someone the cold shoulder
Meaning: To intentionally ignore someone.
Examples:
She gave me the cold shoulder at the party.
He gave his coworker the cold shoulder after the argument.
Would you like me to continue with idioms #51 to #75 next?
4o
You said:
yes
ChatGPT said:
Great! Here are Idioms #51 to #75 with their meanings and real-life example sentences:
51. It’s not rocket science
Meaning: It’s not very complicated.
Examples:
Just follow the instructions—it’s not rocket science.
Cooking pasta isn’t rocket science.
52. Let someone off the hook
Meaning: To allow someone to avoid punishment or responsibility.
Examples:
The teacher let him off the hook for being late.
She was supposed to clean, but her mom let her off the hook.
53. Off the top of your head
Meaning: Without thinking too much or checking facts.
Examples:
Off the top of my head, I’d say around 50 dollars.
Do you know her number off the top of your head?
54. In a nutshell
Meaning: In summary; briefly.
Examples:
In a nutshell, we’re behind schedule.
The movie, in a nutshell, was about friendship.
55. On the ball
Meaning: Alert, quick to understand or react.
Examples:
She’s really on the ball today—great ideas!
We need someone on the ball for this project.
56. Take a rain check
Meaning: Postpone an invitation or event.
Examples:
Can I take a rain check on dinner tonight?
He asked to take a rain check because he’s busy.
57. Wrap your head around
Meaning: To understand something complicated.
Examples:
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the new system.
It took time, but I wrapped my head around the concept.
58. Go down in flames
Meaning: To fail spectacularly.
Examples:
His plan went down in flames.
The project went down in flames after poor planning.
59. Get the ball rolling
Meaning: To start something.
Examples:
Let’s get the ball rolling on this project.
He got the ball rolling by calling the first meeting.
60. Play it by ear
Meaning: To improvise or go with the flow.
Examples:
I’m not sure what we’ll do—let’s play it by ear.
We didn’t plan, we just played it by ear.
61. Your guess is as good as mine
Meaning: I have no idea either.
Examples:
Where did she go? Your guess is as good as mine.
When will it arrive? Your guess is as good as mine.
62. Get a taste of your own medicine
Meaning: Experience the same bad treatment you gave others.
Examples:
He got a taste of his own medicine when they ignored him.
She didn’t like getting a taste of her own medicine.
63. Blow off steam
Meaning: Release anger or stress.
Examples:
I went for a run to blow off steam.
He yelled to blow off steam, not to hurt you.
64. Fish out of water
Meaning: Someone who feels out of place.
Examples:
At the formal dinner, he felt like a fish out of water.
She was a fish out of water at her new school.
65. Throw (someone) under the bus
Meaning: To betray or blame someone to protect yourself.
Examples:
He threw his coworker under the bus to look better.
She felt thrown under the bus in the meeting.
66. Cold turkey
Meaning: Suddenly stop doing something addictive.
Examples:
He quit smoking cold turkey.
She went cold turkey on sugar last month.
67. Kick the bucket
Meaning: To die (informal and humorous).
Examples:
He joked that he’d travel before kicking the bucket.
The old car finally kicked the bucket.
68. Cut to the chase
Meaning: Get to the point.
Examples:
Let’s cut to the chase—what do you want?
I’ll cut to the chase: we need more money.
69. Hit the ceiling
Meaning: To get very angry.
Examples:
My dad hit the ceiling when he saw the mess.
She hit the ceiling over the late delivery.
70. In the blink of an eye
Meaning: Very quickly.
Examples:
It was gone in the blink of an eye.
The summer passed in the blink of an eye.
71. Jump the ship
Meaning: Leave a project or situation before it fails.
Examples:
He jumped ship when he saw the company struggling.
Many employees jumped ship after the new policy.
72. Know the ropes
Meaning: To be familiar with how something works.
Examples:
Give her time—she’s still learning the ropes.
He knows the ropes after working here for years.
73. Miss the boat
Meaning: Miss an opportunity.
Examples:
I missed the boat on that investment.
She missed the boat by not applying sooner.
74. Off the hook
Meaning: Free from responsibility or trouble.
Examples:
You’re off the hook this time.
He got off the hook because of a technicality.
75. Rock the boat
Meaning: To cause trouble or disrupt a situation.
Examples:
Don’t rock the boat—we just got things settled.
She rocked the boat by questioning the rules.
Would you like me to finish the final batch: Idioms #76–100?
4o
You said:
yes
ChatGPT said:
Awesome! Here's the final set — Idioms #76 to #100, with meanings and real-life example
sentences:
76. See eye to eye
Meaning: To agree completely.
Examples:
They finally saw eye to eye on the project.
I don’t see eye to eye with him on politics.
77. Shoot the breeze
Meaning: To chat casually.
Examples:
We sat on the porch and shot the breeze.
They spent hours shooting the breeze after dinner.
78. Skeleton in the closet
Meaning: A hidden or embarrassing secret.
Examples:
Every family has a skeleton in the closet.
He was worried someone would discover his skeletons in the closet.
79. Steal someone’s thunder
Meaning: To take credit for someone else’s idea or success.
Examples:
She stole my thunder by announcing her promotion first.
He didn’t mean to steal your thunder—it was just bad timing.
80. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your responsibility to take the next action.
Examples:
I’ve done my part—the ball is in your court now.
After sending the offer, the ball was in their court.
81. The last straw
Meaning: The final annoyance that makes a situation unbearable.
Examples:
His rude comment was the last straw.
That broken promise was the last straw for her.
82. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick.
Examples:
I’m feeling under the weather today.
She stayed home because she was under the weather.
83. Water under the bridge
Meaning: Past problems that are now forgiven or forgotten.
Examples:
We had a fight, but it’s water under the bridge now.
Let’s not argue—it’s all water under the bridge.
84. When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never happen.
Examples:
He’ll clean his room when pigs fly.
I’ll go skydiving when pigs fly.
85. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To be exactly right.
Examples:
You hit the nail on the head with that answer.
Her suggestion really hit the nail on the head.
86. By the book
Meaning: According to the rules.
Examples:
The accountant does everything by the book.
You need to handle this by the book.
87. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Work late into the night.
Examples:
She burned the midnight oil studying for the exam.
We’ve been burning the midnight oil to meet the deadline.
88. Cry wolf
Meaning: Raise a false alarm.
Examples:
If you cry wolf too often, no one will believe you.
He cried wolf once too many times.
89. Cut corners
Meaning: To do something poorly or cheaply.
Examples:
The builder cut corners and now the roof leaks.
Don’t cut corners with safety procedures.
90. Down to the wire
Meaning: Until the last possible moment.
Examples:
The game went down to the wire.
We finished the project down to the wire.
91. Get a foot in the door
Meaning: Get a first opportunity.
Examples:
The internship helped her get a foot in the door.
He just wants a foot in the door at the company.
92. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble.
Examples:
He got in hot water for missing the meeting.
She’s in hot water with her boss.
93. Leave no stone unturned
Meaning: To do everything possible.
Examples:
The detective left no stone unturned in the case.
We’ll leave no stone unturned to find a solution.
94. Off the beaten path
Meaning: Not usual or mainstream.
Examples:
We found a café off the beaten path.
He likes traveling to places off the beaten path.
95. Pull the plug
Meaning: To stop something.
Examples:
They pulled the plug on the project.
The company pulled the plug due to budget cuts.
96. Raise red flags
Meaning: Cause concern or suspicion.
Examples:
His behavior raised red flags.
Too many errors raised red flags during the audit.
97. Sit tight
Meaning: Wait patiently.
Examples:
Sit tight—we’ll call you soon.
Just sit tight until we get the results.
98. The tip of the iceberg
Meaning: A small part of a much bigger problem.
Examples:
This mistake is just the tip of the iceberg.
What we know is only the tip of the iceberg.
99. To each their own
Meaning: Everyone has different preferences.
Examples:
I don’t like spicy food, but to each their own.
She loves horror movies—well, to each their own!
100. Twist someone’s arm
Meaning: Persuade someone with pressure.
Examples:
I had to twist her arm to join us.
He twisted my arm into going to the party.
