Idioms
1. A penny for your thoughts:
o Meaning: A polite way of asking someone what they are thinking.
o Example: "You seem lost in thought; a penny for your thoughts?"
2. Between a rock and a hard place:
o Meaning: To be in a difficult situation with no easy solution.
o Example: "She was caught between a rock and a hard place when she had to
choose between two equally important commitments."
3. Bite the bullet:
o Meaning: To face a difficult situation with courage.
o Example: "She decided to bite the bullet and confront her fears."
4. Break the ice:
o Meaning: To initiate social interaction in a new setting.
o Example: "He told a joke to break the ice at the party."
5. Call it a day
Meaning: To decide to stop working or doing something for the rest of the day; to finish
or end an activity.
Example: We've been working on this problem for hours with no progress. Let's call it a
day and start fresh tomorrow.
6. Caught between a rock and a hard place
o Meaning: To be in a difficult situation where one has to choose between two
equally undesirable options; to be faced with a dilemma with no easy solution.
o Example: She was caught between a rock and a hard place when she had to decide
whether to relocate for work and leave her family behind or decline the
promotion.
7. Caught everyone by surprise:
o Meaning: To unexpectedly astonish or surprise everyone.
o Example: "The team's unexpected victory caught everyone by surprise."
8. Caught lightning in a bottle
o Meaning: To achieve something extremely rare, difficult, or elusive; to capture a
moment of extraordinary success or luck.
o Example: Her first novel became a bestseller overnight—it was like she had
caught lightning in a bottle.
9. Caught red-handed
o Meaning: To be discovered in the act of doing something wrong or committing a
crime, with clear evidence or proof of one's guilt.
o Example: The thief was caught red-handed on camera stealing from the store.
10.Cold shoulder:
o Meaning: To deliberately ignore or show indifference towards someone.
o Example: "She gave him the cold shoulder after their argument."
11.Cut corners:
o Meaning: To do something in a quicker or cheaper way, often sacrificing quality.
o Example: "They cut corners on the project, resulting in several issues."
12.Cut to the chase:
o Meaning: To get to the main point without unnecessary details.
o Example: "Let's cut to the chase and discuss the key issues."
13.Don't cry over spilled milk:
o Meaning: There's no use in regretting something that has already happened.
o Example: "I made a mistake, but there's no use crying over spilled milk; let's
move forward."
14.Face the music:
o Meaning: To confront the consequences of one's actions.
o Example: "He knew he had to face the music and apologize for his mistake."
15.Hang in there:
o Meaning: To persevere or endure through a difficult situation without giving up.
o Example: "Despite facing numerous obstacles, the team managed to hang in there and
achieve their goal of winning the championship."
16.Hang out to dry:
o Meaning: To leave someone in a difficult or vulnerable situation without support
or help.
o Example: "He felt like his colleagues hung him out to dry when they didn't defend
him during the meeting."
17.Hang up one’s boots:
o Meaning: To retire or stop working, especially from a job or career.
o Example: "After 40 years in the industry, he decided it was time to hang up his
boots and enjoy retirement."
18.Hit the nail on the head:
o Meaning: To describe something exactly right or accurately.
o Example: "Her analysis hit the nail on the head."
19.Jump on the bandwagon:
o Meaning: To join a popular trend or activity.
o Example: "Many companies are jumping on the bandwagon of remote work."
20.Keep your eyes peeled:
o Meaning: To stay alert and watch carefully.
o Example: "Keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity."
21.Let the cat out of the bag:
o Meaning: To reveal a secret.
o Example: "She accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party."
22.Light a fire under:
o Meaning: To motivate or inspire someone to take action or work quickly.
o Example: The politician’s controversial remarks lit a fire under a firestorm of criticism
from the public and media.
23.Make a mountain out of a molehill:
o Meaning: To exaggerate or overreact to a minor issue.
o Example: "She made a mountain out of a molehill by turning a small mistake into
a major problem."
24.Piece of cake:
o Meaning: Something very easy to do.
o Example: "The exam was a piece of cake; I finished it quickly."
25.Play devil's advocate:
o Meaning: To argue against something for the sake of debate or to consider
different perspectives.
o Example: "She played devil's advocate during the meeting to explore all possible
outcomes."
26.Put a damper on:
o Meaning: To spoil or hinder something, making it less enjoyable or successful.
o Example: "The sudden change in weather put a damper on our plans for a picnic in the
park."
27.Put all one’s eggs in one basket:
o Meaning: To rely or invest everything in a single plan, idea, or course of action,
making oneself vulnerable to failure.
o Example: "He invested all his savings in that one risky business venture, putting
all his eggs in one basket."
28.Put on a brave face
o Meaning: To act or appear brave and composed in a difficult or challenging
situation, despite feeling scared, anxious, or uncertain.
o Example: After losing her job, she tried to put on a brave face for her family,
reassuring them that everything would be alright.
29.Raining cats and dogs:
o Meaning: Raining heavily.
o Example: "We had to cancel our plans because it was raining cats and dogs."
30.Set the ball rolling:
o Meaning: To start something; to initiate an action or process.
o Example: "The successful launch of the new product set the ball rolling for the
company's expansion."
31. Speak of the devil
Meaning: Used when someone mentioned a person who then unexpectedly appears.
Example: "Oh, speak of the devil! I was just talking about you when you walked in."
32.Spill the beans:
o Meaning: To reveal a secret.
o Example: "She accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party."
33. Walk on eggshells
Meaning: To be very cautious or delicate in dealing with a sensitive situation or person,
so as not to upset them.
Example: After their argument, he felt like he was walking on eggshells around her,
afraid to say anything that might provoke another disagreement.
34.Break new ground
Meaning: To make a breakthrough or discover something new.
Example: "After months of hard work, the scientist finally broke new ground in her
research."
35.Go the extra mile
Meaning: To put in additional effort to achieve something.
Example: "Despite the challenges, Ramesh decided to go the extra mile and continue
working on his dream project."
36.Bit off more than one could chew
Meaning: To take on more responsibility than one can handle.
Example: "When Riya lost her job, she realized she had bit off more than she could chew
by not having any money."
37.Save face
Meaning: To avoid embarrassment or maintain one's reputation.
Example: "The student tried to save face when the teacher asked about his incomplete
homework.”
38.Made ends meet
Meaning: To manage one's finances and cover expenses.
Example: "With rising prices, it's becoming harder to make ends meet.”
39.Pulled someone’s leg
Meaning: To joke or tease someone.
Example: "I thought he was serious, but he was just pulling my leg!”
40.Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up or quit.
Example: "After repeated failures, he finally threw in the towel.”
41.Keep his chin up
Meaning: To remain positive in difficult times.
Example: "Even after losing his job, he kept his chin up and stayed hopeful.”
42.Spoke volumes
Meaning: To reveal a lot without words.
Example: "Her expression spoke volumes about how she felt.”
43.Lit a fire under
Meaning: To strongly motivate or encourage action.
Example: "The coach’s speech lit a fire under the players before the match.”
44.Bit off more than she could chew
Meaning: To take on too much responsibility.
Example: "By handling multiple projects at once, she bit off more than she could chew.”
45.Jumped the gun
Meaning: To act too soon without thinking.
Example: "He jumped the gun by announcing the project before approval.”
46.Spill the beans
Meaning: To reveal a secret.
Example: "She accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.”
47.Call the shots
Meaning: To be in control or make decisions.
Example: "As the team leader, she calls the shots in every project.”
48.Put all her eggs in one basket
Meaning: To risk everything on one single plan.
Example: When Riya lost her job, she realized she had put all her eggs in one basket by
not having any money.
