What is
an Idiom?
Idioms are
words, phrases, or expressions that cannot
be taken literally. In other words, when
used in everyday language, they have a
meaning other than the basic one you would
find in the dictionary. Every language has
its own idioms. Learning them makes
understanding and using a language a lot
easier and more fun!
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A Blessing In
Disguise:
Something good that isn't recognized at
first.
A Chip On Your
Shoulder:
Being upset for something that happened
in the past.
A Dime A Dozen:
Anything that is common and easy to get.
A Drop in the
Bucket:
A very small part of something big or
whole.
A Leopard Can't
Change His Spots:
You cannot change who you are.
A Penny Saved Is A
Penny Earned:
By not spending money, you are saving
money (little by little).
A Picture Paints a
Thousand Words:
A visual presentation is far more
descriptive than words.
A Piece of Cake:
A task that can be accomplished very
easily.
A Slap on the
Wrist:
A very mild punishment.
A Taste Of Your Own
Medicine:
When you are mistreated the same way you
mistreat others.
A Toss-Up:
A result that is still unclear and can
go either way.
Actions Speak
Louder Than Words:
It's better to actually do something
than just talk about it.
Against The Clock:
Rushed and short on time.
All In The Same
Boat:
When everyone is facing the same
challenges.
An Arm And A Leg:
Very expensive. A large amount of money.
Apple of My Eye:
Someone who is cherished above all
others.
At The Drop Of A
Hat:
Willing to do something immediately.
B
Back To Square One:
Having to start all over again.
Back To The Drawing
Board:
When an attempt fails and it's time to
start all over.
Baker's Dozen:
Thirteen.
Beating Around The
Bush:
Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking
directly about the issue.
Bend Over
Backwards:
Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to
do anything.
Between A Rock And
A Hard Place:
Stuck between two very bad options.
Bite Your Tongue:
To avoid talking.
Blue Moon:
A rare event or occurrence.
Break A Leg:
A superstitious way to say 'good luck'
without saying 'good luck', but rather
the opposite.
C
Can't Cut The
Mustard :
Someone who isn't adequate enough to
compete or participate.
Charley Horse:
Stiffness in the leg / A leg cramp.
Chew someone out:
Verbally scold someone.
Chip on his
Shoulder:
Angry today about something that
occurred
in the past.
Chow Down:
To eat.
Close but no Cigar:
To be very near and almost accomplish a
goal, but fall short.
Crack Someone Up:
To make someone laugh.
Cross Your Fingers:
To hope that something happens the way
you want it to.
Cry Over Spilt
Milk:
When you complain about a loss from the
past.
Cry Wolf:
Intentionally raise a false alarm.
Cup Of Joe:
A cup of coffee.
Curiosity Killed
The Cat:
Being Inquisitive can lead you into a
dangerous situation.
Cut to the Chase:
Leave out all the unnecessary details
and just get to the point.
D
Dead Ringer:
100% identical. A duplicate.
Dog Days of Summer:
The hottest days of the summer season.
Don't count your
chickens before they hatch:
Don't rely on it until your sure of it.
Don't Look A Gift
Horse In The Mouth:
When someone gives you a gift, don't be
ungrateful.
Don't Put All Your
Eggs In One Basket:
Do not put all your resources in one
possibility.
Down To The Wire:
Something that ends at the last minute
or last few seconds.
Drive someone up
the wall:
To irritate and/or annoy very much.
Dropping Like
Flies:
A large number of people either falling
ill or dying.
Dry Run:
Rehearsal.
E
Elvis has left the
building:
The show has come to an end. It's all
over.
Every Cloud Has A
Silver Lining:
Be optimistic, even difficult times will
lead to better days.
Everything But The
Kitchen Sink:
Almost everything and anything has been
included.
F
Field Day:
An enjoyable day or circumstance.
Finger lickin'
good:
A very tasty food or meal.
Fixed In Your Ways:
Not willing or wanting to change from
your normal way of doing something.
Foam at the Mouth:
To be enraged and show it.
Fools' Gold:
Iron pyrites, a worthless rock that
resembles real gold.
From Rags To
Riches:
To go from being very poor to being very
wealthy.
Fuddy-duddy:
An old-fashioned and foolish type of
person.
Funny Farm:
A mental institutional facility.
G
Get Up On The Wrong
Side Of The Bed:
Someone who is having a horrible day.
Get Your Walking
Papers:
Get fired from a job.
Go Down Like A Lead
Balloon:
To be received badly by an audience.
Go Out On A Limb:
Put yourself in a tough position in
order to support someone/something.
Go The Extra Mile:
Going above and beyond whatever is
required for the task at hand.
Good Samaritan:
Someone who helps others when they are
in need
Great Minds Think
Alike:
Intelligent people think like each
other.
Gut Feeling:
A personal intuition you get, especially
when feel something may not be right.
H
Haste Makes Waste:
Quickly doing things results in a poor
ending.
Have an Axe to
Grind:
To have a dispute with someone.
He Lost His Head:
Angry and overcome by emotions.
Head Over Heels:
Very excited and/or joyful, especially
when in love.
Hit The Books:
To study, especially for a test or exam.
Hit The Hay:
Go to bed or go to sleep.
Hit The Nail on the
Head:
Do something exactly right or say
something exactly right.
Hit The Sack:
Go to bed or go to sleep.
Hold Your Horses:
Be patient.
I
Icing On The Cake:
When you already have it good and get
something on top of what you already
have.
If It's Not One
Thing, It's Another:
When one thing goes wrong, then another,
and another...
In The Bag:
To have something secured.
It's A Small World:
You frequently see the same people in
different places.
Its Anyone's Call:
A competition where the outcome is
difficult to judge or predict.
J
Jaywalk:
Crossing the street (from the middle)
without using the crosswalk.
K
Keep An Eye On Him:
You should carefully watch him.
Keep your chin up:
To remain joyful in a tough situation.
Kick The Bucket:
Die.
Kitty-corner:
Diagonally across. Sometimes called
Catty-Corner as well.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
A quick and automatic response.
Knock On Wood:
Knuckle tapping on wood in order to
avoid some bad luck.
Know the Ropes:
To understand the details.
L
Lend Me Your Ear:
To politely ask for someone's full
attention.
Let Bygones Be
Bygones:
To forget about a disagreement or
argument.
Let The Cat Out Of
The Bag:
To share a secret that wasn't suppose to
be shared.
Like a chicken with
its head cut off:
To act in a frenzied manner.
Loose Cannon:
Someone who is unpredictable and can
cause damage if not kept in check.
M
Make No Bones
About:
To state a fact so there are no doubts
or objections.
Method To My
Madness:
Strange or crazy actions that appear
meaningless but in the end are done for
a good reason.
Mumbo Jumbo:
Nonsense or meaningless speech.
Mum's the word:
To keep quiet. To say nothing.
N
Nest Egg:
Savings set aside for future use.
Never Bite The Hand
That Feeds You:
Don't hurt anyone that helps you.
New kid on the
block:
Someone new to the group or area.
No Dice:
To not agree. To not accept a
proposition.
O
Off On The Wrong
Foot:
Getting a bad start on a relationship or
task.
Off The Hook:
No longer have to deal with a tough
situation.
On Pins And
Needles:
Anxious or nervous, especially in
anticipation of something.
On The Fence:
Undecided.
On The Same Page:
When multiple people all agree on the
same thing.
Out On A Limb:
When someone puts themselves in a risky
situation.
Over My Dead Body:
When you absolutely will not allow
something to happen.
Over the Top:
Very excessive.
P
Pass The Buck:
Avoid responsibility by giving it to
someone else.
Pedal to the metal:
To go full speed, especially while
driving a vehicle.
Pig Out :
To eat a lot and eat it quickly.
Practice Makes
Perfect:
By constantly practicing, you will
become better.
Pull the plug:
To stop something. To bring something to
an end.
Pulling Your Leg:
Tricking someone as a joke.
Q
?????????
R
Rain check:
An offer or deal that is declined right
now but willing to accept later.
Raining Cats and
Dogs:
A very loud and noisy rain storm.
Rise and Shine:
Time to get out of bed and get ready for
work/school.
Run out of steam:
To be completely out of energy.
S
Saved By The Bell:
Saved at the last possible moment.
Scapegoat:
Someone else who takes the blame.
Sick As A Dog:
To be very sick (with the flu or a
cold).
Smell A Rat:
To detect someone in the group is
betraying the others.
Smell Something
Fishy:
Detecting that something isn't right and
there might be a reason for it.
Spitting Image:
The exact likeness or kind.
Start From Scratch:
To do it all over again from the
beginning.
T
The Ball Is In Your
Court:
It is your decision this time.
The Best Of Both
Worlds:
There are two choices and you have them
both.
The Last Straw:
When one small burden after another
creates an unbearable situation, the
last straw is the last small burden that
one can take.
The Whole Nine
Yards:
Everything. All of it.
To Make A Long
Story Short:
Something someone would say during a
long and boring story in order to keep
his/her audience from losing attention.
Usually the story isn't shortened.
Tongue And Cheek:
humor, not to be taken serious.
U
Under the weather:
Feeling ill or sick.
Up In The Air:
Nothing is decided yet.
V
Variety Is The
Spice Of Life:
The more experiences you try the more
exciting life can be.
W
Water Under The
Bridge:
Anything from the past that isn't
significant or important anymore.
When It Rains, It
Pours:
Since it rarely rains, when it does it
will be a huge storm.
When Pigs Fly :
Something that will never ever happen.
X
X marks the spot:
A phrase that is said when someone finds
something he/she has been looking for.
Y
You Are What You
Eat:
In order to stay healthy you must eat
healthy foods.
You Can't Judge A
Book By Its Cover:
Decisions shouldn't be made primarily on
appearance.
Your Guess Is As
Good As Mine:
I have no idea.
Z
Zero Tolerance:
No crime or law breaking big or small
will be overlooked.
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