An idiom is a common word or phrase with a culturally understood meaning that differs from what its composite words'

denotations would suggest.

Here are 15 common English idioms and phrases that will enrich your English vocabulary and make you sound like a native
speaker in no time.
1. ‘The best of both worlds’ – means you can enjoy two different opportunities at the same time.
“By working part-time and looking after her kids two days a week she managed to get the best of both worlds.”
2. ‘Speak of the devil’ – this means that the person you’re just talking about actually turns up at that moment.
“Hi Tom, speak of the devil, I was just telling Sara about your new car.”
3. ‘See eye to eye’ – this means agreeing with someone.
“They finally saw eye to eye on the business deal.”
4. ‘Once in a blue moon’ – an event that happens infrequently.
“I only go to the cinema once in a blue moon.”
5. ‘When pigs fly’ – something that will never happen.
“When pigs fly she’ll tidy up her room.”
6. ‘To cost an arm and a leg’– something is very expensive.
“Fuel these days costs and arm and a leg.”
7. ‘A piece of cake’– something is very easy.
“The English test was a piece of cake.”
8. ‘Let the cat out of the bag’ – to accidentally reveal a secret.
“I let the cat out of the bag about their wedding plans.”
9. ‘To feel under the weather’ – to not feel well.
“I’m really feeling under the weather today; I have a terrible cold.”
10. ‘To kill two birds with one stone’ – to solve two problems at once.
“By taking my dad on holiday, I killed two birds with one stone. I got to go away but also spend time with him.”
11. ‘To cut corners’ – to do something badly or cheaply.
“They really cut corners when they built this bathroom; the shower is leaking.”
12. ‘To add insult to injury’ – to make a situation worse.
“To add insult to injury the car drove off without stopping after knocking me off my bike.”
13. ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ – to not judge someone or something based solely on appearance.
“I thought this no-brand bread would be horrible; turns out you can’t judge a book by its cover.”
14. ‘Break a leg’ – means ‘good luck’ (often said to actors before they go on stage).
“Break a leg Sam, I’m sure your performance will be great.”
15. ‘To hit the nail on the head’ – to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
“He hit the nail on the head when he said this company needs more HR support.”
To test your new-found knowledge here are some sentences to practice with. Fill in the blank!
A) I can’t afford this purse! It _______. I won’t be able to pay my rent!
B) His birthday was supposed to be a surprise! I can’t believe you _____. Now he knows!
C) Ha! John has been promising to paint the house for five years… Maybe when _______.
D) Yeah, it’ll _______. I need to sign some papers at Jenny’s school anyway so I’ll pick her up for you too.
E) I don’t really like going out to bars anymore. I only go _______.
F) I’m sorry I can’t come into work today. I’m ________. I have a sore throat and runny nose.
G) They tried ________ when installing the pipes for the house and now we have leaks only one month after purchasing it!
H) We missed our flight to Paris because the connecting flight was late and to ______ they made us pay for a new ticket as if it
was our fault!
I) I can’t wait to see you perform on stage tonight! ______!
J) Jane is just never on time to work, it’s really annoying. O wow, ______ here she comes…
K) So we’re going to London, then Munich, then we will fly out of Athens, right? Great. I’m so glad to be traveling with
someone I _______ with.
L) Wow, she found her dream man and has now landed an amazing job. She really does have ______.
M) OK, she might not be the most attractive but _________. I’m sure she is a sweetheart.
N) I have been trying to figure this out for ages. Thanks so much, you’re right. You _______.
O) I can’t believe that was our test. I think it was easier than some of our homework! It was a ______.
Everyday Idioms
A grey area – Something unclear
A rip-off – Too expensive
Add fuel to the fire – To add more to an existing problem
As easy as ABC – Something is very easy
Call it a day – Time to quit
Cool as a cucumber – To be very calm under stress
Crack a book – Open up a book and study
Down to the wire – At the last minute
Draw a blank – Can’t remember
Fill in the blanks – Provide more information
Get a kick out of it – Really enjoy/like something
Get your act together – Behave properly
Give it a shot – To try to do something
Have mixed feelings – Be unsure of how you feel
Have second thoughts – Have doubts
In hot water – Be in trouble
In the same boat – Be in the same situation
It’s in the bag – It’s a certainty
I've got your number – To say you can't be fooled by someone since you have them figured out
Miss the boat – You missed your chance
Mumbo jumbo – To call something total nonsense
Out of the blue – With no warning
Pass with flying colors – To succeed at something easily
Piece of cake – Something very easy
Read between the lines – Find the hidden meaning
Second to none – The best
The icing on the cake – Something additional that turns good into great
Body Part Idioms
Cross your fingers – For good luck
Fell on deaf ears – People wouldn't listen to something
Get cold feet – Be nervous
Giving the cold shoulder – Ignore someone
Have a change of heart – Changed your mind
I’m all ears – You have my full attention
It cost an arm and a leg – It was expensive
Play it by ear – Improvise
See eye to eye – Agree
Slipped my mind – I forgot
Speak your mind – Say what you really feel
Animal Idioms
A bull in a china shop - Someone who is very clumsy
A little birdie told me - Someone told me a secret
Bee in her bonnet - She is upset
Birdbrain - Someone who is not very smart
Busy as a bee – To be very active and working hard at something
Cat got your tongue? - Why aren’t you talking?
Cry crocodile tears - To pretend to be upset
Curiosity killed the cat - Asking too many questions may get you in trouble
Different kettle of fish - Something completely different
Doggy bag - A bag to take home leftovers from a restaurant
Fish out of water - Being somewhere you don’t belong
For the birds - Something that is not worth anything
Get off your high horse - Quit thinking you are better than others
Goose is cooked - Now you’re in trouble
Hold your horses - Wait a minute
Horse of a different color - Something that is quite different, a separate issue
Hot dog - A person doing athletic stunts that are dangerous
Let the cat out of the bag - Tell a secret
Make a mountain out of a molehill - Make something unimportant into a big deal
Night owl - Someone who stays up late
Pig out - To eat a lot
Put a bug in his ear - Make a suggestion
Raining cats and dogs - It is raining very hard
Snail's pace – To move extremely slow
Stir a hornet's nest – To cause a lot of trouble
Teacher's pet – The teacher's favorite student
The world is your oyster – You can achieve whatever/go wherever you want
When pigs fly - To say something is impossible
Wolf in sheep’s clothing - A person who pretends to be nice but is not
You can't teach an old dog new tricks - It’s harder for older people to learn new things

Unique Expressions
Idioms are a unique way to get your point across, and show just how fun language can be. Now that
you've seen some suitable examples of idioms for kids you can see that it's a piece of cake to show your
witty side by using an idiom in writing or conversation.

John's Keys to Success

John is an incredibly accomplished and successful businessman. As such, he is quite popular
as a mentor. He enjoys showing young professionals the ropes. The first thing he says is that
his career has certainly not always been smooth sailing. In fact, he learned a number of
lessons along the way. "First and foremost," John said "don't believe that success is ever mana
from heaven." He said that everyone he had met had a similar rags to riches story, and that a
lot of hard work had gone into the success.
John believes in hard work, but also in recognizing the right opportunities. "It's absolutely
essential to never spread yourself too thin" John advised. "If you have too many irons in the
fire, you'll certainly miss out on real opportunity" he continued. "I've seen people as busy as a
bee who never really seem to do anything" he pointed out. The more I thought about this
advice, the more I understood what he was saying.
If you put on your thinking cap, you'll realize that it's impossible to really concentrate if you
have to worry about fifty different things. Another important lesson was that it's important to
know which side your bread is buttered on and make sure to give that activity your full
attention. In other words, you need to ride the gravy train.
Don't start looking for new challenges if everything is working out for the best!
John stressed that the most important ability of any successful entrepreneur was to have the
presence of mind to not only take advantage of an opportunity, but also to keep your eye on
the ball. Some people are quick on the uptake, but then they get bored. It's important to be
consistent, but not spread yourself too thin. Finally, make sure to never show your hand to
your opponents. In any case, that's how to be successful according to John.
Idioms Used in the Story
smooth sailing = an easy life with no problems
know which side one's bread is buttered on = to understand what is most important
for oneself
ride the gravy train = to make money by doing something that is already proven to be
successful
keep one's eye on the ball = to concentrate and continue doing well
mana from heaven = surprise riches
from rags to riches = from poor to rich
show someone the ropes = to explain and show by example how something is done
properly
as busy as a bee = very busy (also busy as a beaver)
work out for the best = to end with the best possible result
quick on the uptake = to understand very quickly
have the presence of mind to do something = to be aware and able to grasp an
opportunity
show one's hand = to show others what advantages you have in a situation
put on one's thinking cap = to concentrate
spread oneself too thin = to do too many things
have too many irons in the fire = to do too many things
Idioms Quiz
My friend is as ________________ these days. He never gets time to relax.
We've been lucky in life. It's been _____________ since the very beginning.
I'm sure the situation will improve. It will _________________.
You need to ____________________ for this problem. It requires a lot of concentration.
Alan ___________________ during the negotiations for the business deal.
Franklin went from ________________ in his life. He started with nothing and ended up a
very rich person.
Some artists are lucky and have a huge hit early in life. Then they
______________________ for many years afterwards.
My boss _________ me ______________ at work because it was my first week.
Quiz Answers
busy as a bee
smooth sailing
work out for the best
put on your thinking cap
showed his hand
rags to riches
ride the gravy train
showed me the ropes