Idiom Meaning Usage
A blessing in disguise a good thing that seemed bad as part of a
at first sentence
A dime a dozen Something common as part of a
sentence
Beat around the Avoid saying what you mean, as part of a
bush usually because it is sentence
uncomfortable
Better late than Better to arrive late than not to by itself
never 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 as part of a
to save time or money sentence
Easy does it Slow down by itself
Idiom Meaning Usage
Get out of hand Get out of control as part of a
sentence
Get something out of Do the thing you've been as part of a
your system wanting to do so you can move sentence
on
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 Start over as part of a
drawing board sentence
Hang in there Don't give up by itself
Hit the sack Go to sleep as part of a
sentence
It's not rocket It's not complicated by itself
science
Let someone off the To not hold someone as part of a
hook responsible for something sentence
Make a long story Tell something briefly as part of a
short sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage
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 don't notice how long by itself
you're having fun something lasts when it's fun
To get bent out of To get upset as part of a
shape sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage
To make matters Make a problem worse as part of a
worse sentence
Under the weather Sick as part of a
sentence
We'll cross that Let's not talk about that by itself
bridge when we problem right now
come to it
Wrap your head Understand something as part of a
around something complicated sentence
You can say that That's true, I agree by itself
again
Your guess is as I have no idea by itself
good as mine
Common English idioms &
expressions
These English idioms are used quite regularly in the United States. You
may not hear them every day, but they will be very familiar to any native
English speaker. You can be confident using any of them when the
context is appropriate.
Idiom Meaning Usage
A bird in the hand is What you have is worth more by itself
worth two in the bush than 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
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
sentence
Barking up the wrong To be mistaken, to be looking as part of
tree for solutions in the wrong place a
sentence
Birds of a feather flock People who are alike are often by itself
Idiom Meaning Usage
together friends (usually used
negatively)
Bite off more than you Take on a project that you as part of
can chew cannot finish a
sentence
Break the ice Make people feel more as part of
comfortable a
sentence
By the skin of your Just barely as part of
teeth a
sentence
Comparing apples to Comparing two things that as part of
oranges cannot be compared a
sentence
Costs an arm and a leg Very expensive as part of
sentence
Do something at the Do something without having as part of
drop of a hat planned beforehand a
sentence
Do unto others as you Treat people fairly. Also known by itself
Idiom Meaning Usage
would have them do as "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 There's no reason to complain by itself
milk 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 Good things come after bad by itself
silver lining things
Get a taste of your Get treated the way you've as part of
own medicine been treating others (negative) a
sentence
Give someone the cold Ignore someone as part of
shoulder a
sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage
Go on a wild goose To do something pointless as part of
chase a
sentence
Good things come to Be patient by itself
those who wait
He has bigger fish to He has bigger things to take by itself
fry care 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 Get something exactly right by itself
head
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 You're just as bad as I am by itself
one
It's a piece of cake It's easy by itself
It's raining cats and It's raining hard by itself
dogs
Idiom Meaning Usage
Kill two birds with one Get two things done with a by itself
stone single action
Let the cat out of the Give away a secret as part of
bag a
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 as part of
another mistake, there will be a
trouble. sentence
Once in a blue moon Rarely as part of
a
sentence
Play devil's advocate To argue the opposite, just for as part of
the sake of argument a
sentence
Put something on ice Put a projet on hold as part of
sentence
Rain on someone's To spoil something as part of
Idiom Meaning Usage
parade a
sentence
Saving for a rainy day Saving money for later as part of
sentence
Slow and steady wins Reliability is more important by itself
the race than speed
Spill the beans Give away a secret as part of
sentence
Take a rain check Postpone a plan as part of
sentence
Take it with a grain of Don’t take it too seriously as part of
salt a
sentence
The ball is in your It's your decision by itself
court
The best thing since A really good invention as part of
sliced bread a
sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage
The devil is in the It looks good from a distance, by itself
details but when you look closer, there
are problems
The early bird gets the The first people who arrive will by itself
worm get the best stuff
The elephant in the The big issue, the problem as part of
room people are avoiding a
sentence
The whole nine yards Everything, all the way. as part of
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 He seems crazy but actually by itself
his madness he's clever
There's no such thing Nothing is entirely free by itself
as a free lunch
Throw caution to the Take a risk as part of
wind a
sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage
You can't have your You can't have everything by itself
cake and eat it too
You can't judge a book This person or thing may look by itself
by its cover bad, but it's good inside
Familiar English idioms &
proverbs
These English idioms and proverbs are familiar and easily understood by
native English speakers, but they are not usually used in everyday
conversation. If you haven't mastered the more frequent idioms yet, they
are a better place to start, but if you're already familiar with those
expressions, the idioms below will further spice up your English.
Idiom Meaning Usage
A little learning is a People who don't by itself
dangerous thing understand 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 No chance at all as part of
hell a
Idiom Meaning Usage
sentence
A stitch in time saves nine Fix the problem now by itself
because it 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
sentence
Bolt from the blue Something that happened as part of
without warning a
sentence
Burn bridges Destroy relationships as part of
sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage
Calm before the storm Something bad is coming, as part of
but right now it's calm a
sentence
Come rain or shine No matter what as part of
sentence
Curiosity killed the cat Stop asking questions by itself
Cut the mustard Do a good job as part of
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 The better you know by itself
contempt someone the less you like
him
Fit as a fiddle In good health as part of
sentence
Fortune favors the bold Take risks by itself
Idiom Meaning Usage
Get a second wind Have more energy after as part of
having been tired a
sentence
Get wind of something Hear news of something as part of
secret a
sentence
Go down in flames Fail spectacularly as part of
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
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 He's dumb by itself
full deck
Idiom Meaning Usage
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 by itself
the dawn better
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 Understand the situation as part of
is blowing (usually negative) a
sentence
Leave no stone unturned Look everywhere as part of
sentence
Let sleeping dogs lie Stop discussing an issue as part of
a
Idiom Meaning Usage
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
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
sentence
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 by itself
into the fire to worse
Run like the wind Run fast as part of
sentence
Idiom Meaning Usage
Shape up or ship out Work better or leave by itself
Snowed under Busy as part of
sentence
That ship has sailed It's too late by itself
The pot calling the kettle Someone criticizing as part of
black someone else he is just as a
bad 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
stones criticize others
Through thick and thin In good times and in bad as part of
times 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
Idiom Meaning Usage
Weather the storm Go through something as part of
difficult 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
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 by itself
without breaking some doing something
eggs
