IDIOMATIC
EXPRESSIONS
What are idiomatic expressions?
• Idiomatic expressions are phrases with
meanings that are different from the literal
meanings of the words. They’re an important
part of English and often come from history or
culture. Learning these expressions will help
you speak better and understand English-
speaking cultures more.
1.“Break the ice” Meaning: To start a conversation or make
people feel more comfortable. Example: “To break the ice at
the party, I said hello to the person next to me.”
2.“Cut corners” Meaning: To do something in the easiest or
cheapest way, often badly. Example: “The company cut corners
on safety to save money, which caused problems.”
3.“Hit the nail on the head” Meaning: To describe something
exactly right. Example: “You’ve hit the nail on the head with
your idea about the problem.”
4.“Piece of cake” Meaning: Something very easy to do.
Example: “The test was a piece of cake; I finished it very
quickly.”
5.“Cost an arm and a leg” Meaning: To be very expensive
Example: “That new phone costs an arm and a leg; I can’t buy
it now.”
1.“Bite off more than you can chew” Meaning: To try to do
more than you can manage. Example: “By agreeing to do two
big projects at once, I bit off more than I could chew.”
2.“Beat around the bush” Meaning: To avoid talking about
what’s important. Example: “Please stop beating around the
bush and tell me what happened.”
3.“Cry over spilled milk” Meaning: To be upset about
something that has already happened and can’t be changed.
Example: “Don’t cry over spilled milk; let’s focus on fixing the
problem.”
4.“Get your act together” Meaning: To organise yourself and
improve your behaviour. Example: “You need to get your act
together if you want to pass this class.”
5.“Kill two birds with one stone” Meaning: To solve two
problems with one action. Example: “By walking to work, I kill
two birds with one stone: I save money and get exercise.”
1.“Let the cat out of the bag” Meaning: To reveal a secret by
mistake. Example: “I let the cat out of the bag about the
surprise party when I asked her what cake she likes.”
2.“Pull someone’s leg” Meaning: To joke with someone by
telling them something that isn’t true. Example: “Don’t worry,
I’m just pulling your leg; I didn’t really sell your bike.”
3.“Burn the midnight oil” Meaning: To work late into the
night. Example: “I’ve been burning the midnight oil to finish
this project before the deadline.”
4.“Bite the bullet” Meaning: To do something difficult or
unpleasant that you have been avoiding. Example: “I finally bit
the bullet and went to the dentist after waiting for months.”
5.“Break a leg” Meaning: A way of wishing someone good luck,
especially before a performance. Example: “You’re going to do
great in the play tonight. Break a leg!”
1.“Call it a day” Meaning: To stop working on something. Example:
“We’ve done a lot of work on the report. Let’s call it a day and continue
tomorrow.”
2.“Steal someone’s thunder” Meaning: To take attention away from
someone else’s achievement. Example: “I was about to share my good
news, but my sister stole my thunder by announcing her
engagement.”
3.“The ball is in your court” Meaning: It’s your turn to take action or
make a decision. Example: “I’ve made my offer; now the ball is in your
court to decide.”
4.“Throw in the towel” Meaning: To give up. Example: “After trying for
hours to fix the computer, I threw in the towel and called an expert.”
5.“Under the weather” Meaning: Feeling slightly ill. Example: “I’m
feeling a bit under the weather today; I might stay home and rest.”
6.“Speak of the devil” Meaning: Said when someone appears just as
you’re talking about them. Example: “Speak of the devil! We were just
talking about you when you walked in.”
1.“Once in a blue moon” Meaning: Very rarely. Example: “I
only eat fast food once in a blue moon; I usually cook at
home.”
2.“Catch someone red-handed” Meaning: To catch someone
while they are doing something wrong. Example: “The teacher
caught the student red-handed trying to cheat on the test.”
3.“Barking up the wrong tree” Meaning: To look for
something in the wrong place or to blame the wrong person.
Example: “If you think I took your book, you’re barking up the
wrong tree. I haven’t seen it.”
4.“Jump on the bandwagon” Meaning: To join an activity that
has become popular. Example: “When healthy eating became
popular, many people jumped on the bandwagon.”
5.“Like two peas in a pod” Meaning: Very similar or close.
Example: “Those best friends are like two peas in a pod; they
do everything together.”
1.“Ten a penny” Meaning: Very common and not special or
valuable. Example: “Empty promises are ten a penny; I need to
see real actions.”
2.“Go the extra mile” Meaning: To make an extra effort.
Example: “Our teachers always go the extra mile to help
students understand difficult topics.”
3.“Straight from the horse’s mouth” Meaning: Information
from the person who knows best. Example: “I heard about the
university’s new policy straight from the horse’s mouth – the
vice-chancellor told us herself.”
4.“Take with a pinch of salt” Meaning: To not completely
believe something. Example: “You should take his stories with a
pinch of salt; he often exaggerates.”
