IDIOMS

1. Moon: This idiom typically means to dreamily think about someone or something.
 Example: "He's been mooning over his new girlfriend all week."
2. Break a leg: A way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance.
 Example: "You have your big speech today, right? Break a leg!"
3. Bite the bullet: To endure a painful or unpleasant situation that is unavoidable.
 Example: "I hate going to the dentist, but I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet."
4. Beat around the bush: To avoid getting to the point; not speaking directly about the issue.
 Example: "Stop beating around the bush and tell me what the problem is."
5. Through thick and thin: Supporting someone in good times and bad.
 Example: "We've been friends through thick and thin for over 20 years."
6. Actions speak louder than words: What someone actually does is more important than what
they say they will do.
 Example: "He always promises to help, but actions speak louder than words."
7. Better late than never: It's better to do something late than not do it at all.
 Example: "I finally finished my thesis. Better late than never, I guess."
8. Go down in flames: To fail in a spectacular or dramatic manner.
 Example: "His business went down in flames after just one year."
9. Call it a day: To stop working on something, either temporarily or permanently.
 Example: "We've been at this for hours. Let's call it a day."
10. It takes two to tango: A situation or action that involves more than one person and for which
they are equally responsible.
 Example: "They both were at fault in the argument – it takes two to tango."
11. Jump on the bandwagon: To join others in doing something that has become fashionable or
popular.
 Example: "Everyone's buying smartwatches these days. Looks like I might have to jump
on the bandwagon."
12. The Whole Nine Yards: Everything possible or available; the whole lot.
 Example: "For her wedding, she went the whole nine yards with a designer dress, a huge
cake, and a fancy car."
13. On cloud nine: To be extremely happy or euphoric.
 Example: "He was on cloud nine after getting the promotion at work."
14. Hang in there: A way of telling someone to not give up, despite difficulties.
 Example: "I know your job search is tough, but hang in there!"
15. Come rain or shine: Regardless of any difficulties or obstacles.
 Example: "I'll be at your soccer game, come rain or shine."
16. A penny for your thoughts: A way of asking someone what they are thinking about.
 Example: "You've been quiet all evening, a penny for your thoughts?"
17. A blessing in disguise: A good thing that seemed bad at first.
 Example: "Losing that job was a blessing in disguise, as it led me to a better opportunity."
18. Raining cats and dogs: Raining very heavily.
 Example: "We can't go to the beach today, it's raining cats and dogs."
19. On the ball: Being alert and efficient; understanding and responding quickly.
 Example: "Our new assistant is really on the ball with organizing schedules."
20. As right as rain: Perfectly all right; in good health or condition.
 Example: "After a good night's sleep, I felt as right as rain."
21. Cut the mustard: To meet the required standard; to be good enough.
 Example: "His last presentation didn't quite cut the mustard."
22. Throw caution to the wind: To do something without worrying about the risks or negative
consequences.
 Example: "He threw caution to the wind and invested all his savings in the new
business."
23. Ignorance is bliss: Not knowing something is often more comfortable than knowing.
 Example: "I didn’t know about the traffic jam and took the longer scenic route.
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss."
24. Go the extra mile: To do much more than is required or expected.
 Example: "She really went the extra mile to make her friend's birthday special."
21. Against the Clock - Rushed and short on time.
22. Beat Around the Bush - Avoiding the main topic, not speaking directly about the issue.
23. Bite the Bullet - To endure a painful or otherwise unpleasant situation that is seen as
unavoidable.
24. Break New Ground - To do something innovative or pioneering.
25. Burning Bridges - Permanently and destructively ending a relationship.
26. Cry Over Spilt Milk - To be upset about things that have already happened and cannot be
changed.
27. Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket - Don’t put all of your resources in one possibility.
28. Down to the Wire - Something happening at the last possible moment.
29. Draw the Line - To set a limit of what is acceptable.
30. Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining - There is something good in every bad situation.
31. Go the Extra Mile - To do more than what is expected.
32. Hit the Books - To study, especially for an exam.
33. In the Heat of the Moment - Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.
34. Jump on the Bandwagon - To join a popular trend or activity.
35. Keep Your Chin Up - To remain joyful in a tough situation.
36. Miss the Boat - To miss an opportunity.
37. No Pain, No Gain - You have to work for what you want.
38. On the Ball - Doing a good job, being competent.
39. Pull Yourself Together - To take control of your emotions and behave normally again.
40. Read Between the Lines - To understand the hidden meaning.
41. Sit on the Fence - To remain neutral and not take sides in a dispute.
42. The Ball is in Your Court - It is your decision this time.
43. The Elephant in the Room - An obvious problem or issue that no one wants to discuss.
44. There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch - Nothing is entirely free; everything has a cost,
whether it’s obvious or hidden.
45. Throw Caution to the Wind - To become very reckless or bold.
46. Time Flies When You’re Having Fun - You don’t notice how long something lasts when it’s
enjoyable.
47. Turn Over a New Leaf - To start anew, to change behavior or attitude for the better.
48. Up in the Air - Uncertain, undecided.
49. When It Rains, It Pours - When a bad things happen, they happen all at once.
50. Your Guess is as Good as Mine - To not know something.
51. Barking Up the Wrong Tree - Looking in the wrong place or accusing the wrong person.
52. Bite Off More Than You Can Chew - To take on a task that is too big or beyond one’s ability.
53. Cross That Bridge When You Come to It - Deal with a problem if and when it becomes
necessary, not before.
54. Cut to the Chase - Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point.
55. Get a Taste of Your Own Medicine - To experience the same unpleasantness that you have given
others.
56. Give the Benefit of the Doubt - To believe someone's statement, without proof, even though it
seems doubtful.
57. Go Back to the Drawing Board - To start over; when a plan fails, and it's time to plan something
new.
58. Hang in There - To remain persistent and to not give up despite challenges.
59. Hit the Hay/Sack - To go to bed or go to sleep.
60. Jump the Gun - To do something too soon, before it is appropriate.
61. Kill Two Birds with One Stone - To solve two problems with a single action.
62. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie - To avoid bringing up an old problem.
63. Make a Long Story Short - To tell something briefly.
64. Not Playing with a Full Deck - Not mentally sound; missing a few crucial pieces of information
or abilities.
65. Off the Hook - No longer have to deal with a tough situation.
66. Out of the Blue - Something happening unexpectedly.
67. Put Your Best Foot Forward - To try as hard as you can or give your best.
68. Run Like the Wind - To run very fast.
69. Speak of the Devil - When the person you have just been talking about arrives.
70. Steal Someone's Thunder - To take the credit for something someone else did.
71. Take It with a Pinch of Salt - To view something with skepticism or not to interpret something
literally.
72. The Whole Nine Yards - Everything, all of it.
73. Throw in the Towel - To give up; to quit.
74. Under Your Nose - Hidden in plain sight, or in a place you fail to look.
75. You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But You Can't Make It Drink - You can provide someone
with an opportunity, but you can't force them to take it.
76. A Storm in a Teacup - A big fuss made about something of little importance.
77. At the Drop of a Hat - Without any hesitation; instantly.
78. Bite the Hand That Feeds You - To harm someone who has been helping or supporting you.
79. Catch-22 - A no-win situation or a problem with no satisfactory solution.
80. Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch - Don’t make plans based on future events that
may not happen.
81. Every Dog Has Its Day - Everyone gets a chance at least once.
82. Fit as a Fiddle - To be in perfect health.
83. Get Your Act Together - To behave properly, to start to organize yourself so that you do things in
an effective way.
84. Hit the Road - To leave or depart.
85. It Takes Two to Tango - Actions or communications need more than one person.
86. Keep Your Eyes Peeled - To watch carefully for someone or something.
87. Let Bygones Be Bygones - To forget about a disagreement or argument.
88. Make Ends Meet - To have just enough money to pay for the things you need.
89. Not a Spark of Decency - Completely without manners or respect.
90. Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fire - Going from a bad to a worse situation.
91. Put the Cart Before the Horse - To do things in the wrong order.
92. Rock the Boat - To do or say something that will upset people or cause problems.
93. Sell Like Hot Cakes - To sell quickly and in large quantities.
94. Take the Bull by the Horns - To directly confront a difficult situation.
95. The More the Merrier - If more people join in, it will be more fun.
96. Under the Gun - Under pressure to meet a deadline or constraint.
97. Variety Is the Spice of Life - Life is made more interesting by doing new or different things.
98. Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve - To openly and freely express your emotions.
99. You Reap What You Sow - You eventually have to face up to the consequences of your actions.
100. Zero In On - To direct all your attention towards a particular person or thing.
101. A Penny for Your Thoughts - A way of asking what someone is thinking.
102. Actions Speak Louder Than Words - What someone does is more important than what
they say they will do.
103. Add Insult to Injury - To make a bad situation even worse.
104. At the Eleventh Hour - Something happening at the last possible moment.
105. Back to Square One - Having to start all over again.
106. Bend Over Backwards - Do everything possible to help someone.
107. Bite the Dust - To fail, to be defeated or destroyed.
108. Close, But No Cigar - To nearly achieve success, but ultimately fail.
109. Cry Wolf - To give a false alarm; to warn of a danger that is not there.
110. Curiosity Killed the Cat - Being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.
111. Don't Beat a Dead Horse - To waste time doing something that has already been
attempted.
112. Elvis Has Left the Building - The show or event is over.
113. Feeling Under the Weather - Not feeling well.
114. Give the Cold Shoulder - To ignore someone.
115. Go Down in Flames - To fail in a spectacular manner.
116. In a Pickle - In a difficult situation.
117. Jump on the Bandwagon - Join a popular trend or activity.
118. Keep the Ball Rolling - To keep something progressing.
119. Live and Let Live - To tolerate others’ behaviors and beliefs, even if they are different
from one's own.
120. Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees - Money is not easily obtained; it's necessary to work
hard for it.
121. Not All It’s Cracked Up to Be - Not as good as people say it is.
122. Once in a Blue Moon - Very rarely.
123. Play It by Ear - To improvise.
124. Rain on Someone’s Parade - To spoil something for someone.
125. See Eye to Eye - To agree completely.
126. The Pot Calling the Kettle Black - Accusing someone of faults that one has oneself.
127. Throw in the Sponge/Towel - To give up; to quit.
128. Up the Ante - To increase what is at stake or the level of something.
129. When Hell Freezes Over - Never.
130. Your Mileage May Vary - Your experience may be different from mine or others.
131. All Bark and No Bite - When someone talks tough but really isn't.
132. Beat a Dead Horse - To continue to pursue a matter that has already been concluded; to
insist on talking about something that cannot be changed.
133. Birds of a Feather Flock Together - People with similar interests or characteristics tend
to associate with each other.
134. Burning the Candle at Both Ends - Working or doing too much, especially at the
expense of one's rest or health.
135. Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Facing a decision between two undesirable
options.
136. Don't Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater - Don't discard something valuable
along with something undesirable.
137. Down the Rabbit Hole - Entering into an increasingly complex and disorienting
situation (often used when describing deep dives into topics or issues).
138. Everything But the Kitchen Sink - Almost everything, whether needed or not.
139. Finding Your Feet - Becoming comfortable in what you are doing.
140. Go Against the Grain - To do something that is in opposition to the usual or expected.
141. Haste Makes Waste - Rushing leads to mistakes.
142. In the Limelight - At the center of attention.
143. Keep Your Powder Dry - To be ready for a challenge or conflict.
144. Look Before You Leap - Think carefully about what you are about to do before you do
it.
145. Make Hay While the Sun Shines - To take advantage of a good situation.
146. No Stone Unturned - To look everywhere; to investigate thoroughly.
147. On Tenterhooks - In a state of suspense or agitation because of uncertainty.
148. Push the Envelope - To go beyond the usual or expected limits.
149. Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day - Important work takes time.
150. Straight from the Horse's Mouth - Information coming directly from the most reliable
source.
151. The Ball’s in Your Court - It is your decision or responsibility to do something now.
152. Turn a Blind Eye - To ignore something and pretend you do not see it.
153. Under the Same Roof - Living or working in the same place.
154. Wet Behind the Ears - Inexperienced or new in a particular field or activity.
155. You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It Too - You can't have two incompatible things at
the same time.
156. A Red Herring - Something that distracts attention from the real issue.
157. All in the Same Boat - In the same situation; facing the same challenges.
158. Bite Your Tongue - To avoid talking.
159. By the Skin of Your Teeth - Just barely; by the narrowest of margins.
160. Comparing Apples to Oranges - Comparing two things that cannot be compared
because they are so different.
161. Cry Over Spilled Milk - To be upset about things that have already happened and cannot
be changed.
162. Don't Cut Corners - Doing something poorly in order to save time or money.
163. Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining - You can derive some benefit from every bad thing
that happens to you.
164. Fall on Deaf Ears - To be ignored or disregarded.
165. Get Wind of Something - To learn of something, especially a piece of information that is
supposed to be a secret.
166. Grasp at Straws - To make a desperate attempt at saving oneself.
167. If It's Not One Thing, It's Another - When one thing goes wrong, then another, and
another...
168. Jump the Shark - A point at which something that was once popular no longer warrants
the attention it has previously received.
169. Kick the Bucket - A euphemism for dying or death.
170. Leave No Stone Unturned - To look everywhere; to explore all possibilities.
171. More Than Meets the Eye - More complex or involved than appears.
172. Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed - Not very intelligent or clever.
173. Once Bitten, Twice Shy - After an unpleasant experience, people are careful to avoid
something similar.
174. Pull the Plug - To stop something; to bring something to an end.
175. Raining Cats and Dogs - Raining very heavily.
176. Sink or Swim - Fail or succeed entirely by one's own efforts.
177. The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating - You can only judge the quality of
something after you have tried, used, or experienced it.
178. Under the Table - Illegally; secretly or without public knowledge.
179. Walking on Eggshells - To be extremely cautious about one's words or actions.
180. You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks - It's difficult to make someone change their
habits or acquire new skills or habits, especially when they are older.
181. A Tough Nut to Crack - A problem that is hard to solve or a person who is difficult to
understand.
182. At a Snail's Pace - Moving very slowly.
183. Burning the Midnight Oil - Working late into the night; studying or working hard.
184. Cold Feet - Nervousness or fear that prevents you from doing something.
185. Cut the Mustard - To meet the required standard; to be sufficient or adequate.
186. Easier Said Than Done - More difficult to do than to talk about.
187. Find Your Feet - To become comfortable in what you are doing.
188. Get the Ball Rolling - Start something, especially something big or important.
189. Have a Bone to Pick - Have a matter to discuss, often a complaint or grievance.
190. In Hot Water - In trouble; in a difficult situation.
191. Jump Through Hoops - To go through lots of obstacles or to make a lot of effort to
achieve something.
192. Know the Ropes - To be familiar with the details of an operation or task.
193. Let the Cat Out of the Bag - Reveal a secret, usually unintentionally.
194. Not Cut Out For - Not suited for a particular task or role.
195. Off the Top of My Head - Without deep thought or investigation.
196. Put Your Foot Down - To assert something strongly; to firmly make your opinion or
decision known.
197. See the Light of Day - To become known; to become public knowledge.
198. Take the Cake - To be the best or worst in a situation; to do something to an extreme.
199. Throw Someone Under the Bus - To betray or sacrifice someone for one's own benefit.
200. When Push Comes to Shove - When things get critical; when a situation becomes
serious or urgent.
201. A Picture Paints a Thousand Words - A visual presentation is far more descriptive than
words.
202. Beating Around the Bush - Avoiding the main topic, not speaking directly or clearly
about an issue.
203. Caught Red-Handed - Caught in the act of doing something wrong.
204. Down to Earth - Practical and realistic; without pretense.
205. Every Nook and Cranny - In every part; everywhere.
206. Go the Extra Mile - To do more than is required or expected.
207. Hit the Nail on the Head - To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
208. In Over Your Head - Taking on a task or situation that is too much to handle.
209. Keep Your Cool - To remain calm in a stressful situation.
210. Like a Fish Out of Water - Being in a situation that you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable
with.
211. Make a Mountain Out of a Molehill - To make a small problem seem much bigger than
it actually is.
212. Not My Cup of Tea - Not something one enjoys or is interested in.
213. Out of the Woods - No longer in danger or difficulty.
214. Put All Your Eggs in One Basket - To risk everything on a single venture or idea.
215. Right Off the Bat - Immediately, without delay.
216. The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side - Other people's situations always
seem better than your own.
217. Through Thick and Thin - In all situations, no matter how difficult.
218. Under the Radar - Not detected or noticed.
219. When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going - When conditions become
difficult, strong people take action.
220. You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours - If you help me, I'll help you.