IDIOMS

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.”
6. 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.”
7. “Beat around the bush” Meaning: To avoid talking about
what’s important. Example: “Please stop beating around the bush and
tell me what happened.”
8. “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.”
9. “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.”
10.“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.”
11. “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.”
12. “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.”
13. “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.”
14. “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.”
15.“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!”
16. “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.”
17. “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.”
18. “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.”
19. “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.”
20. “Under the weather” Meaning: Feeling slightly ill.
Example: “I’m feeling a bit under the weather today; I might stay home
and rest.”
21. “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.”
22. “Once in a blue moon” Meaning: Very rarely. Example: “I
only eat fast food once in a blue moon; I usually cook at home.”
23. “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.”
24.“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.”
25. “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.”
26. “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.”
27. “Ten a penny” Meaning: Very common and not special or
valuable. Example: “Empty promises are ten a penny; I need to
see real actions.”
28. “Go the extra mile” Meaning: To make an extra effort.
Example: “Our teachers always go the extra mile to help students
understand difficult topics.”
29. “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.”
30. “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.”