COMMONLY

USED IDIOMS
MASTER 50+ IDIOMS THAT YOU CAN USE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE.

SAVLEEN KAUR
India's First Fluency Coach
ABOUT THE TRAINER

SAVLEEN KAUR
INDIA'S FIRST FLUENCY COACH

Savleen Kaur is India's first fluency Coach certified from London

She is the Founder of Savleen English University. She helps
students, working professionals, trainers , freelancers and business
owners to become fluent, fearless and fantastic English speakers.
After doing search for 7 years, training 7000+ students, and
earning 7 figures, she found that people struggle to become fluent
in English and Monetise it because they don't have the right
direction.
She is on a mission to Make 1 Million People a fluent, fearless and
fantastic speaker.
ABOUT THE TRAINER
MY STORY WAS PUBLISHED ON
ENTREPRENEUR STORIES

CAME IN TOP 100 OUT OF 40,185

SPEAKERS IN SUPER SPEAKER
 COMMONLY
USED IDIOMS

01 ON CLOUD NINE
MEANING: VERY HAPPY
Example: She’s been on cloud nine since she heard the
news of her engagement.
I am on cloud nine today as I won the match

02 IN SEVENTH HEAVEN
MEANING: VERY HAPPY
Example: I am in seventh heaven as I got 95%

03 FACE THE MUSIC

MEANING: TO CONFRONT THE CONSEQUENCES OF
ONE'S ACTIONS/ KUCH GALAT KRKE USKI SAJAH
BHUGATNA
Example: You broke her spectacles. Now, you have to face
the music

If she lied to me, then she'll just have to face the music.
04 LIVING HAND TO MOUTH
MEANING: SOME MONEY JUST TO SURVIVE/ KAM KAISE
KAMA KAR MUSHKIL SE GUJARA KARNA
Example: My father earned very little and there were four
kids, so we lived from hand to mouth.
HE CANNOT GO TO THE PARTY SINCE HE IS JUST LIVING
HAND TO MOUTH

05 KEEP YOUR CHIN UP

MEANING: TO STAY CHEERFUL AND HOPEFUL DURING
DIFFICULT TIMES/ DIFFICULT TIMES M BHI KHUSH RHENA
Example: He's still keeping his chin up despite all his
health problems.
You just have to keep your chin up and look forward.

06 PIECE OF CAKE
MEANING: VERY EASY/ BAYE HATH KA KHEL
Example: They said the test would be difficult, but it was a
piece of cake

Making maggi is a piece of cake.

07 SPILL THE BEANS
MEANING: TO TELL SOMEONE A SECRET OR TELL
INFORMATION BEFORE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO./
BHANDA PHOR DENA
Example: I cannot believe you spilled the beans about our
party tomorrow—now I'll have to invite Nancy.
My coworker spilled the beans about a new product we
were developing and a competitor learned about it and
released their own version before we did.

08 BREAD AND BUTTER

MEANING: A PERSON'S LIVELIHOOD OR MAIN SOURCE
OF INCOME.
Example: Gardening is my bread and butter right now
Is teaching your bread and butter?

09 UNDER THE WEATHER

MEANING: FEEL ILL/ BIMAR
Example: I'm feeling a bit under the weather - I think I'm
getting a cold.

Are you feeling under the weather?

10 ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

MEANING: NOT VERY OFTEN/ KBHI KABHI
Example: My sister lives in Canada, so I only see her once in
a blue moon.

I go to watch movies once in a blue moon.

11 GO THE EXTRA MILE
MEANING: TO MAKE MORE EFFORT THAN IS EXPECTED OF
YOU/ JADA EFFORTS LAGANE
Example: He's a nice guy, always ready to go the extra mile
for his friends.
Are you ready to go the extra mile to win the prize?

12 BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH
MEANING: FEELING NERVOUS
Example: Tomorrow is my interview and I am feeling
butterflies in my stomach now.
Whenever I have to do public speaking, I get butterflies in
my stomach.

13 HANG IN THERE
MEANING: DON’T GIVE UP DESPITE DIFFICULTIES
Work can get tough in the middle of a term but hang in
there and it'll be OK.
I can understand that you have been struggling and not
getting any results. Don’t worry, just hang in there

14 SICK AND TIRED

MEANING: ANNOYED BECAUSE OF DOING SOMETHING
AGAIN AND AGAIN
KISI EK CHIZ KO BAR BAR KRKE THAK CHUKE HO
Example: I am sick and tired of your excuses.

I am sick and tired of eating maggi everyday.

15 FISH OUT OF WATER
MEANING: FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE
Example: I didn't have any friends that were like me. I just
always felt like a fish out of water.
When I had to introduce myself in public, I felt like a fish
out of water.

16 A TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE

MEANING: TIT FOR TAT/ JAISE KO TAISA
Example: You deserve to get a taste of your own medicine
and feel the same terror that everyone you killed felt.
He is doing wrong. I will give him a taste of his own
medicine

17 SELL LIKE HOT CAKES

MEANING: SELLING A LOT SO MUCH DEMAND
Example: The new game is apparently selling like hot
cakes.
Virgin mojito is selling like hot cakes.

18 HIT THE SACK

MEANING: TO GO TO BED IN ORDER TO SLEEP
Example: I have a busy day tomorrow, so I think I'll hit the
sack now.

I want to hit the sack as I am really tired.

19 TO BURN A HOLE IN ONE’S
POCKET
MEANING: SPEND A LOT OF MONEY
Example: He burnt a hole in my pocket.
Don’t go to that restaurant. You will burn a hole in your
pocket.

20 KICK THE BUCKET

MEANING: SOMEBODY DIED
Example: Sorry to say but Mr. Thomas has kicked the
bucket.
Dr Chadha has kicked the bucket.
 IDIOMS
RELATED TO FOOD
21 BIG CHEESE
MEANING: VERY IMPORTANT PERSON (VIP)
Example: He left business school and became a big cheese
in the City.
Don’t say anything to him and you don’t even know that he
is a big cheese.

22 GO BANANAS
MEANING: TO BECOME EXTREMELY ANGRY OR EXCITED
Example: She'll go bananas when you tell her the news.
I just went bananas when I found out what he had done.

23 IN A NUTSHELL
MEANING: TO SUMMARIZE
Example: Can you tell me in a nutshell?
In a nutshell, the problem is that we had to move out of
that office.

24 HOT POTATO
MEANING: A PROBLEM, SITUATION, ETC. THAT IS
DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH
Example: It is a hot potato at the moment, and is causing a
great deal of concern to many people.
The problem has come back again, and it is a kind of hot
potato.
25 HARD NUT TO CRACK
MEANING: A PROBLEM THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SOLVE
OR A PERSON WHO IS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND
Example: The problem is a hard nut to crack.
He's a tough nut, but I think I can get him to agree to the
contract.

26 FULL OF BEANS
MEANING: TO HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM
Example: I've never known anyone be so full of beans
before breakfast
I was amazed to see that she was full of beans

27 MY CUP OF TEA
MEANING: YOU CAN DO IT / APKE BAS KI BAT HA
Example: Talking with strangers is not my cup of tea.
Making a cup of tea is his cup of tea.

28 COOL AS A CUCUMBER
MEANING: VERY CALM
Example: My boss is as cool as a cucumber even when he
speaks in front of hundreds of people.
Even though she'd just lost her job, she came to the party
as cool as a cucumber.
29 SMART COOKIE
MEANING: A CLEVER PERSON WHO MAKES GOOD
DECISIONS
Example: You are not a smart cookie
The woman in charge was obviously a smart cookie with a
lot of experience.

30 BAD EGG
MEANING: A PERSON WHO IS BAD, DISHONEST, OR
UNRELIABLE; A GOOD-FOR-NOTHING
Example: I left him as he was a bad egg.
Don’t talk to this person. He is a bad egg
 IDIOMS
RELATED TO ANIMAL

31 AS BUSY AS A BEE
MEANING: VERY BUSY
Example: Sorry can’t talk to you as I am as busy as a bee
My mom was as busy as a bee the whole day.

32 FAT CAT
MEANING: A VERY RICH PERSON BUT IN A NEGATIVE
WAY
Example: 1 His father is a fat cat business person.
2 Is he a fat cat?

33 A BIRD'S EYE VIEW

MEANING: A VIEW FROM A VERY HIGH PLACE THAT
ALLOWS YOU TO SEE A LARGE AREA
Example: 1 From the top of this building, you can get a
bird's-eye view of the city
2 Go on top floor to see the bird‘s eye view

34 RAT RACE
MEANING: COMPETING WITH OTHER PEOPLE FOR
POWER AND MONEY
Example: He decided to get out of the rat race and selected
freelancing as his career option
He has not achieved anything as he was lost in rat race
35 CATNAP
MEANING: A SHORT SLEEP DURING THE DAY.
Example: a short sleep during the day.

36 DOG TIRED
MEANING: EXTREMELY TIRED
Example: Are you dog tired?
We all were dog tired last night so we slept

37 BLACK SHEEP
MEANING: A MEMBER OF A FAMILY OR GROUP WHO IS
REGARDED AS A DISGRACE TO IT/ KALANK
Example: He does not live with us now. He was a black
sheep in our family.
He's the black sheep of the family. No one talks with him

38 COPYCAT
MEANING: A PERSON WHO COPIES ANOTHER'S BEHAVIOR,
DRESS, OR IDEAS./ NAKALCHI BANDA
Example: You're just a copycat!
Is he a copycat?

39 DARK HORSE
MEANING: A PERSON WHO KEEPS THEIR INTERESTS AND
IDEAS SECRET, ESPECIALLY SOMEONE WHO HAS A
SURPRISING ABILITY OR SKILL/ CHHUPA RUSTAM
Example: Anna's such a dark horse - I had no idea she got
promotion. He is a dark horse.
40 TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH
ONE STONE
MEANING: TO SUCCEED IN ACHIEVING TWO THINGS IN A
SINGLE ACTION/ EK TIR SE DO NISHANE
Example: Let me do this as I am going to kill two birds with
one stone
He is smart. He killed two birds with one stone.
 IDIOMS
RELATED TO PERSONALITY

41 A PAIN IN THE NECK

MEANING: SOMEONE OR SOMETHING THAT IS VERY
ANNOYING
Example: Your child is a real pain in the neck

42 A WIMP
MEANING: A PERSON WHO IS NOT STRONG, BRAVE, OR
CONFIDENT/ FATTU
Example: I'm afraid I'm a wimp when it comes to bungee
jumping.
Your brother is a wimp. He will never do it

43 DOWN TO EARTH
MEANING: REASONABLE, AND FRIENDLY/ BILKUL
BHI GHAMANDI NAI
Example: I love to talk with her. She is a down to earth lady.
She's a down-to-earth woman with no pretensions

44 MORNING BIRD
MEANING: SOMEONE WHO GETS UP EARLY IN THE
MORNING OR WHO DOES SOMETHING BEFORE OTHER
PEOPLE/ JO SUBHA JALDI UTHTE HAI
Example: I am not a morning bird.
Are you a morning bird or a night owl?
45 NIGHT OWL
MEANING: A PERSON WHO PREFERS TO BE AWAKE AND
ACTIVE AT NIGHT/ JO RAAT TAK JAGTA HAI
Example: My brother is a night owl.
I am not a night owl as I have my office early in the
morning.

46 NERD
MEANING: A PERSON WHO IS EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN
ONE SUBJECT, ESPECIALLY COMPUTERS, AND KNOWS A
LOT OF FACTS ABOUT IT:
Example: He is a grammar nerd.
I am not a vocabulary nerd.

47 PEOPLE PERSON
MEANING: SOMEONE WHO IS FRIENDLY AND ENJOYS
MEETING AND TALKING TO PEOPLE
Example: I am not exactly a people person.
Dave tries hard, but he's just not a people person.

48 PARTY ANIMAL
MEANING: SOMEONE WHO ENJOYS PARTIES AND PARTY
ACTIVITIES VERY MUCH AND GOES TO AS MANY AS
POSSIBLE
Example: I am a party animal?
Is your friend a party animal?
I can’t go with you. I am not a party animal.
49 PARTY POOPER
MEANING: PARTY SPOILER/ SOMEONE WHO SPOILS THE
PARTY
Example: Don’t invite him. He is a party pooper
I am not a party pooper.

50 LIFE AND SOUL OF PARTY

MEANING: SOMEONE WHO IS ENERGETIC AND FUNNY
AND AT THE CENTER OF ACTIVITY DURING SOCIAL
OCCASIONS
Example: I have missed you alot. You were the life and the
soul of the party.
Don’t forget to invite him since he is the life and the soul of
the party.