Idiom Meaning Usage

A blessing in disguise a good thing that seemed bad at as part of a

first sentence

A dime a dozen Something common as part of a

sentence

Beat around the bush Avoid saying what you mean, as part of a
usually because it is uncomfortable sentence

Better late than never Better to arrive late than not to by itself
come at all

Bite the bullet To get something over with as part of a

because it is inevitable sentence

Break a leg Good luck by itself

Call it a day Stop working on something as part of a

sentence

Cut somebody some Don't be so critical as part of a

slack sentence

Cutting corners Doing something poorly in order to as part of a

save time or money sentence

Easy does it Slow down by itself

Get out of hand Get out of control as part of a

sentence

Get something out of Do the thing you've been wanting as part of a

your system to do so you can move on sentence

Get your act together Work better or leave by itself

Give someone the Trust what someone says as part of a

benefit of the doubt sentence

Go back to the drawing Start over as part of a

board sentence

Hang in there Don't give up by itself

Idiom Meaning Usage

Hit the sack Go to sleep as part of a

sentence

It's not rocket science It's not complicated by itself

Let someone off the To not hold someone responsible as part of a

hook for something sentence

Make a long story Tell something briefly as part of a

short sentence

Miss the boat It's too late as part of a

sentence

No pain, no gain You have to work for what you by itself

want

On the ball Doing a good job as part of a

sentence

Pull someone's leg To joke with someone as part of a

sentence

Pull yourself together Calm down by itself

So far so good Things are going well so far by itself

Speak of the devil The person we were just talking by itself

about showed up!

That's the last straw My patience has run out by itself

The best of both An ideal situation as part of a

worlds sentence

Time flies when you're You don't notice how long by itself
having fun something lasts when it's fun

To get bent out of To get upset as part of a

shape sentence

To make matters Make a problem worse as part of a

worse sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage

Under the weather Sick as part of a

sentence

We'll cross that bridge Let's not talk about that problem by itself
when we come to it right now

Wrap your head Understand something complicated as part of a

around something sentence

You can say that again That's true, I agree by itself

Your guess is as good I have no idea by itself

as mine
Common English idioms & expressions

Idiom Meaning Usage

A bird in the hand is What you have is worth more than by itself
worth two in the bush what you might have later

A penny for your Tell me what you're thinking by itself

thoughts

A penny saved is a Money you save today you can by itself

penny earned spend later

A perfect storm the worst possible situation as part of a

sentence

A picture is worth 1000 Better to show than tell by itself

words

Actions speak louder Believe what people do and not by itself

than words what they say

Add insult to injury To make a bad situation worse as part of a

sentence

Barking up the wrong To be mistaken, to be looking for as part of a

tree solutions in the wrong place sentence

Birds of a feather flock People who are alike are often by itself
together friends (usually used negatively)
Idiom Meaning Usage

Bite off more than you Take on a project that you cannot as part of a
can chew finish sentence

Break the ice Make people feel more as part of a

comfortable sentence

By the skin of your teeth Just barely as part of a

sentence

Comparing apples to Comparing two things that cannot as part of a

oranges be compared sentence

Costs an arm and a leg Very expensive as part of a

sentence

Do something at the Do something without having as part of a

drop of a hat planned beforehand sentence

Do unto others as you Treat people fairly. Also known as by itself

would have them do "The Golden Rule"
unto you

Don't count your Don't count on something good by itself

chickens before they happening until it's happened.
hatch

Don't cry over spilt milk There's no reason to complain by itself

about something that can't be
fixed

Don't give up your day You're not very good at this by itself
job

Don't put all your eggs What you're doing is too risky by itself
in one basket

Every cloud has a silver Good things come after bad things by itself
lining

Get a taste of your own Get treated the way you've been as part of a
medicine treating others (negative) sentence

Give someone the cold Ignore someone as part of a

shoulder sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage

Go on a wild goose To do something pointless as part of a

chase sentence

Good things come to Be patient by itself

those who wait

He has bigger fish to fry He has bigger things to take care by itself
of than what we are talking about
now

He's a chip off the old The son is like the father by itself
block

Hit the nail on the head Get something exactly right by itself

Ignorance is bliss You're better off not knowing by itself

It ain't over till the fat This isn't over yet by itself
lady sings

It takes one to know one You're just as bad as I am by itself

It's a piece of cake It's easy by itself

It's raining cats and dogs It's raining hard by itself

Kill two birds with one Get two things done with a single by itself
stone action

Let the cat out of the Give away a secret as part of a

bag sentence

Live and learn I made a mistake by itself

Look before you leap Take only calculated risks by itself

On thin ice On probation. If you make another as part of a

mistake, there will be trouble. sentence

Once in a blue moon Rarely as part of a

sentence

Play devil's advocate To argue the opposite, just for the as part of a
sake of argument sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage

Put something on ice Put a project on hold as part of a

sentence

Rain on someone's To spoil something as part of a

parade sentence

Saving for a rainy day Saving money for later as part of a

sentence

Slow and steady wins Reliability is more important than by itself

the race speed

Spill the beans Give away a secret as part of a

sentence

Take a rain check Postpone a plan as part of a

sentence

Take it with a grain of Don’t take it too seriously as part of a

salt sentence

The ball is in your court It's your decision by itself

The best thing since A really good invention as part of a

sliced bread sentence

The devil is in the details It looks good from a distance, but by itself
when you look closer, there are
problems

The early bird gets the The first people who arrive will get by itself
worm the best stuff

The elephant in the The big issue, the problem people as part of a
room are avoiding sentence

The whole nine yards Everything, all the way. as part of a

sentence

There are other fish in It's ok to miss this opportunity. by itself

the sea Others will arise.

There's a method to his He seems crazy but actually he's by itself

madness clever
Idiom Meaning Usage

There's no such thing as Nothing is entirely free by itself

a free lunch

Throw caution to the Take a risk as part of a

wind sentence

You can't have your cake You can't have everything by itself
and eat it too

You can't judge a book This person or thing may look bad, by itself
by its cover but it's good inside
Familiar English idioms & proverbs
Idiom Meaning Usage

A little learning is a People who don't understand by itself

dangerous thing something fully are dangerous

A snowball effect Events have momentum and as part of

build upon each other a sentence

A snowball's chance in hell No chance at all as part of

a sentence

A stitch in time saves nine Fix the problem now because it by itself
will get worse later

A storm in a teacup A big fuss about a small as part of

problem a sentence

An apple a day keeps the Apples are good for you by itself
doctor away

An ounce of prevention is You can prevent a problem by itself

worth a pound of cure with little effort. Fixing it later
is harder.

As right as rain Perfect as part of

a sentence

Bolt from the blue Something that happened as part of

without warning a sentence

Burn bridges Destroy relationships as part of

Idiom Meaning Usage

a sentence

Calm before the storm Something bad is coming, but as part of

right now it's calm a sentence

Come rain or shine No matter what as part of

a sentence

Curiosity killed the cat Stop asking questions by itself

Cut the mustard Do a good job as part of

a sentence

Don't beat a dead horse Move on, this subject is over by itself

Every dog has his day Everyone gets a chance at by itself

least once

Familiarity breeds contempt The better you know someone by itself

the less you like him

Fit as a fiddle In good health as part of

a sentence

Fortune favours the bold Take risks by itself

Get a second wind Have more energy after having as part of

been tired a sentence

Get wind of something Hear news of something secret as part of

a sentence

Go down in flames Fail spectacularly as part of

a sentence

Haste makes waste You'll make mistakes if you by itself

rush through something

Have your head in the Not be concentrating as part of

clouds a sentence

He who laughs last laughs I'll get you back for what you by itself
loudest did
Idiom Meaning Usage

Hear something straight Hear something from the as part of

from the horse's mouth person involved a sentence

He's not playing with a full He's dumb by itself

deck

He's off his rocker He's crazy by itself

He's sitting on the fence He can't make up his mind by itself

It is a poor workman who If you can't do the job, don't by itself

blames his tools blame it on others

It is always darkest before Things are going to get better by itself

the dawn

It takes two to tango One person alone isn't by itself

responsible. Both people are
involved.

Jump on the bandwagon Follow a trend, do what as part of

everyone else is doing a sentence

Know which way the wind is Understand the situation as part of

blowing (usually negative) a sentence

Leave no stone unturned Look everywhere as part of

a sentence

Let sleeping dogs lie Stop discussing an issue as part of

a sentence

Like riding a bicycle Something you never forget as part of

how to do a sentence

Like two peas in a pod They're always together as part of

a sentence

Make hay while the sun Take advantage of a good as part of

shines situation a sentence

On cloud nine Very happy as part of

a sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage

Once bitten, twice shy You're more cautious when by itself

you've been hurt before

Out of the frying pan and Things are going from bad to by itself
into the fire worse

Run like the wind Run fast as part of

a sentence

Shape up or ship out Work better or leave by itself

Snowed under Busy as part of

a sentence

That ship has sailed It's too late by itself

The pot calling the kettle Someone criticizing someone as part of

black else he is just as bad a sentence

There are clouds on the Trouble is coming by itself

horizon

Those who live in glass People who are morally by itself

houses shouldn't throw questionable shouldn't criticize
stones others

Through thick and thin In good times and in bad times as part of
a sentence

Time is money Work quickly by itself

Waste not, want not Don't waste things and you'll by itself
always have enough

We see eye to eye We agree by itself

Weather the storm Go through something difficult as part of

a sentence

Well begun is half done Getting a good start is by itself

important

When it rains it pours Everything is going wrong at by itself

once
Idiom Meaning Usage

You can catch more flies You'll get what you want by by itself
with honey than you can being nice
with vinegar

You can lead a horse to You can't force someone to by itself

water, but you can't make make the right decision
him drink

You can't make an omelet There's always a cost to doing by itself

without breaking some eggs something