30 USEFUL ENGLISH IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS &

THEIR MEANINGS
At Oxford International, we know that learning idiomatic expressions is
important for speaking English well. These special phrases can be hard for
non-native speakers, but they’re very useful for natural communication. In
this blog post, we’ll look at 30 common idioms in English, what they mean
and how to use them.

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.

Let’s look at 30 useful English idiomatic expressions, their meanings and

examples of how to use them:

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.”

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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.”
6. “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.”
7. “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.”
8. “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.”
9. “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.”
10. “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!”
11. “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.”
12. “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.”
13. “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.”
14. “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.”
15. “Under the weather” Meaning: Feeling slightly ill. Example: “I’m
feeling a bit under the weather today; I might stay home and rest.”
16. “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.”
17. “Once in a blue moon” Meaning: Very rarely. Example: “I only eat
fast food once in a blue moon; I usually cook at home.”
18. “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.”
 19. “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.”
20. “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.”
21. “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.”
22. “Ten a penny” Meaning: Very common and not special or valuable.
Example: “Empty promises are ten a penny; I need to see real actions.”
23. “Go the extra mile” Meaning: To make an extra effort. Example:
“Our teachers always go the extra mile to help students understand
difficult topics.”
24. “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.”
25. “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.”

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How to use idiomatic expressions well

Now that you know these common idioms in English, here are some tips to
help you use them:

1. Understand when to use them: Make sure you know the right
situation for each expression.
2. Practice in conversations: Try using these phrases when you speak
English every day.
3. Listen for idioms: Pay attention to how native speakers use these
expressions.
4. Don’t use too many: Using some idioms is good, but using too many
can sound strange.

At Oxford International, we believe that learning idiomatic expressions is

very important for speaking English well. Our courses help you understand
and use these phrases naturally, so you can communicate better in English.

Remember, learning to use idiomatic expressions takes time and practice.

Don’t worry if you make mistakes; even native speakers sometimes use
idioms wrong. Keep learning and practising, and soon you’ll use these
colourful phrases confidently!

Whether you’re studying, working or just want to improve your English,

understanding and using idiomatic expressions will help you a lot. At Oxford
International, we’re here to help you learn English better.

So, start using these idiomatic expressions in your English today! With
practice, you’ll soon use them like a native speaker.