IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

Idiomatic expressions are groups of words with an established meaning unrelated to the
meanings of the individual words. Sometimes called an expression, an idiom can be very
colorful and make a ‘picture’ in our minds.

Some common idiomatic expressions:

 He let the cat out of the bag (accidentally told a secret).

 She got off Scott-free (escaped without punishment).
 He flew off the handle (went crazy).

I’m going to show you how you can easily understand more than 100 English idioms, used in
both American English and British English, even the first time you hear them.

Firstly, you need to know that idioms and phrases are everywhere in English: anything that
doesn’t have a literal, physical meaning is an idiom. Let’s look at some idiom examples:

 I find his excuses hard to swallow, he’s lying.

 The police have been digging around in his accounts looking for evidence of fraud.
 He’s a really bright spark, so I think he’ll do well at school.

These sentences all contain idioms, because you can’t swallow words or dig in a bank account in
any literal or physical way – and how can a ‘spark’ do well at school? You’ll also notice that a
literal translation into most languages won’t make sense.

These kinds of idioms are far more common, and therefore far more important, than the more
colorful expressions like ‘He’s kicked the bucket’ (died), ‘She’s hitting the books’ (studying),
or ‘Break a leg!’ (Good luck!), and without them students often sound too formal – saying
things like:

 I don’t believe his excuses.

 The police have been investigating his accounts looking for evidence of fraud.
 He is a very intelligent student, so I think he’ll succeed at university.

So how can you learn idioms without memorizing huge lists of English expressions? Many of my
students in my online English classes ask me this. I’ll show you how.

List of Common English Idioms:

Idiom Meaning

Hard to swallow Difficult to believe

Digging around Looking for

He’s a really bright spark He’s an intelligent person

Idiom Meaning

He’s kicked the bucket He’s died

She’s hitting the books She’s studying hard

Break a leg! Good luck!

Set out on a new career Start a new career

Saunter through life Live in a relaxed way

Follow in someone’s footsteps Do something the way another person did it before

One step at a time Do something slowly and carefully

The sequence of jobs someone takes that create their

Career path
career

Milestones Important events in a person’s life or career

Dead end job A job that offers no opportunity for advancement

When someone is at a point in life where their decisions

To be at a crossroads
will have long term consequences

He’s on the straight and narrow He’s living in a morally proper way

To walk someone through

To show someone how to do something
something

We need to come up with a road

We need to make a plan
map

I wouldn’t go down that road if I

I wouldn’t do that if I were you!
were you!

Don’t try to do something difficult before mastering the

Don’t run before you can walk
basics

When progress on something is being made in small

Inching forward
increments
Idiom Meaning

To move at a snail’s pace To move slowly

To get good mileage out of

To get a lot of benefits from something
something

To have your whole life in front

To be young and have a lot of years to live
of you

To get on with your life To make progress in life goals after a difficulty

To behave or speak carefully to avoid offending or

To tread carefully
causing problems with someone or something

To be a minefield When something presents many possible dangers

We’ll cross that bridge when we

To wait to worry about one problem at a time
come to it

Information superhighway The internet

Time is money Time is a valuable resource

A tasty (or juicy) bit of gossip Very interesting or sensational gossip

To devour someone or
To consume something very quickly
something

To add a pinch of salt to

To acknowledge that someone exaggerates
something

To chew something over To think about something before making a decision

To not swallow something To not accept something as fact

To bite off more than you can When someone makes a commitment that they cannot
chew keep

To eat your wods When someone has to admit they were wrong

A warm welcome A friendly welcome

Idiom Meaning

The cold shoulder An unfriendly welcome

When things heat up between

When a relationship becomes romantic
people

To be cold-hearted To be dispassionate or uncaring

A 24-hour hotline A phone line that is always active

To receive a greeting that makes someone feel

A very frosty reception
unwelcome

The Cold War War without active fighting between nations

A warm smile and the warm

A welcoming smile and handshake
handshake

People who call phones, usually for sales, who don’t have
Cold callers
previous contact with the person they’re calling

We took the temperature of the Checked the overall opinion of a person or group of
group people about something

Most people were quite warm

People have a positive reaction to the idea
about the idea

You’ll reap the rewards later To collect the benefits of your work

To prune out To clear, clean or groom something

Separate the wheat from the Separate what is useful or valuable from what is
chaff worthless

Rooted in Based on something or connected to a source/cause

To reduce something, usually related to the amount of

To cutback something
money spent

To use a lot of your physical, mental or financial

To dig deep
resources to achieve something

Great growth A positive change in the production of goods or services

Idiom Meaning

Root and branch Completely/utter

Money that is used to start a small business or other

Seed money
activity

Bright shoot Start something new, a new chapter

Plough its own furrow To follow a plan or course of action independently

Have an ability to make plants grow, to be good at

Green fingers
gardening

To argue that something is the best thing to do, to

Build/make a good case
explain and give reasons why something should be done

To tell lies about something, completely made-

A fabrication
up/invented

To be confident about the topic you are dealing with, or

To be on solid ground
because you are in a safe situation

To use something as a base or foundation to develop

Build on
something else

To break something into a smaller form or into many

Shattered
pieces

Undermine your position Behave in a way that makes you less likely to succeed

To break down someone’s argument to an extent that it

Demolish your arguments
is no longer accurate or correct

Criticism that is useful because they can help improve

Constructive criticism
something

A reason for you to be dismissed from your job, often

Grounds for dismissal
due to your (negative) behavior

Completely groundless Not based on any good reason

Grounded in fact Something that is based on facts

Idiom Meaning

Come to light To be revealed

Unearthed To find something that was lost or forgotten

A mine of Someone or something that can provide you with a lot of

information/gossip/data information etc.

Get to the bottom of Find an explanation, often to a mystery

Digging into To methodically reveal information

To try to hide something, such as a memory, the truth

To bury the memory
etc.

Emerge Something that is brought to attention

Out in the open In public view or knowledge, everybody knows

An alternative culture, different from the mainstream of

Underground scene
society and culture

Transparency Something that can be seen by everyone/the public

Crystal clear Perfectly easy to understand

Put your head in the sand To ignore or hide from the obvious signs of danger

Bright spark Someone that is highly intelligent

Enlightenment To understand something completely

To reveal something about someone/something, to

Throw light on something
clarify something

Dull Something that lacks imagination, boring

Brilliant Shining brightly, stands out, illustrious

A state of ignorance, to not have knowledge about

In the dark
something
Idiom Meaning

Dim-witted Something/someone that thinks slowly, lacks intelligence

When something was not understood, a time when

Dark ages
knowledge was limited

Illuminating To make something more understandable

A part of a political group that consists of people who

Right-wing
support conservative or traditional ideas

Look down upon To view someone or something as unworthy

Side of the fence Refers to either side of opposing views or ideas

The current state of things and how they are looking in

Political landscape
the future

How you observe things that happen, your opinion on

Look at life
daily matters

Behind you all the way To fully support someone’s actions

Point of view An opinion on something

A clearer view of something, a more thorough

Better perspective
understanding of a situation

Take someone’s side To support one person’s side of an argument

Where I stand Your opinion, point of view

Look up to To respect someone as a role model

The status of being respected, a position of being ‘more’

Moral high ground
moral than others

Undecided on a decision, avoid making a decision on

Sitting on the fence
something
 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

What is figurative
language?

Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using
figurative language.

Simile

A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to compare one object or idea with another to suggest
they are alike.
Example: busy as a bee

Metaphor

The metaphor states a fact or draws a verbal picture by the use of comparison. A simile would
say you are like something; a metaphor is more positive - it says you are something.
Example: You are what you eat.

Personification

A figure of speech in which human characteristics are given to an animal or an object.

Example: My teddy bear gave me a hug.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same initial letter, sound, or group of sounds in a series of words.
Alliteration includes tongue twisters.
Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

Onomatopoeia

The use of a word to describe or imitate a natural sound or the sound made by an object or an
action.
Example: snap crackle pop

Hyperbole

An exaggeration that is so dramatic that no one would believe the statement is true. Tall tales
are hyperboles.
Example: He was so hungry, he ate that whole cornfield for lunch, stalks and all.

Idioms

According to Webster's Dictionary, an idiom is defined as: peculiar to itself either grammatically
(as no, it wasn't me) or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined
meanings of its elements.
Example: Monday week for "the Monday a week after next Monday"
 Clichés

A cliché is an expression that has been used so often that it has become trite and sometimes
boring.
Example: Many hands make light work.
Figurative language is when you use a word or phrase that does not have its normal everyday,
literal meaning. Writers can use figurative language to make their work more interesting or
more dramatic than literal language which simply states facts.

There are a few different ways to use figurative language, including metaphors, similes,
personification and hyperbole. See the table below for some figurative language examples and
definitions.

Term Definition Example

The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in The wild and woolly walrus waits and wonders
Alliteration
two or more neighboring words or syllables when we’ll walk by

holy & stony

Assonance A resemblance of sound in words or syllables and
Fleet feet sweep by sleeping geese

A word or phrase that has become overly familiar

Cliche No pain, no gain
or commonplace

Hyperbole Big exaggeration, usually with humor mile-high ice-cream cones

Idiom The language peculiar to a group of people She sings at the top of her lungs

Comparing two things by using one kind of object

Metaphor or using in place of another to suggest the likeness Her hair was silk
between them

Naming a thing or an action by imitating the sound

Onomatopoeia buzz, hiss, roar, woof
associated with it

The stuffed bear smiled as the little boy hugged

Personification Giving something human qualities
him close
 A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that
Simile The sun is like a yellow ball of fire in the sky
is often introduced by like or as

As well as the above, there are also a number of literary devices which can be used in figurative
language as well. These include mood, irony, paradox, oxymoron, allusion, and euphemism.

One of the best ways to understand the concept of figurative language is to see it in action.
Here are some examples:
 This coffee shop is an ice box! (Metaphor)
 She's drowning in a sea of grief. (Metaphor)
 She's happy as a clam. (Simile)
 I move fast like a cheetah on the Serengeti. (Simile)
 The sea lashed out in anger at the ships, unwilling to tolerate another
battle. (Personification)
 The sky misses the sun at night. (Personification)
 I’ve told you a million times to clean your room! (Hyperbole)
 Her head was spinning from all the new information. (Hyperbole)
 She was living her life in chains. (Symbolism - Chains are a symbol of oppression of
entrapment.)
 When she saw the dove soar high above her home, she knew the worst was over.
(Symbolism - Doves are a symbol of peace and hope.)
The Big Five
Let’s dive deeper into "the big five." We’ll consider their place in your writing, and give some
examples to paint a better picture for you.
Metaphor
When you use a metaphor, you make a statement that doesn’t literally make sense. For
example, “Time is a thief.” Time is not actually stealing from you but this conveys the idea that
hours or days sometimes seem to slip by without you noticing.
Metaphors only makes sense when the similarities between the two things being compared are
apparent or readers understand the connection between the two words. Examples include:
 The world is my oyster.
 You're a couch potato.
 Time is money.
 He has a heart of stone.
 America is a melting pot.
 You are my sunshine.
Simile
A simile also compares two things. However, similes use the words “like” or “as.”
Examples include:
 Busy as a bee.
 Clean as a whistle.
 Brave as a lion.
 The tall girl stood out like a sore thumb.
 It was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
 My mouth was as dry as a bone.
 They fought like cats and dogs.
 Watching that movie was like watching grass grow.
Personification
Personification gives human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas. This can
really affect the way the reader imagines things. Personification is often used in poetry, fiction,
and children’s rhymes.
Examples include:
 Opportunity knocked at his door.
 The sun greeted me this morning.
 The sky was full of dancing stars.
 The vines wove their delicate fingers together.
 The radio suddenly stopped singing and stared at me.
 The sun played hide and seek with the clouds.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is an outrageous exaggeration that emphasizes a point. It tends toward the
ridiculous or the funny. Hyperbole adds color and depth to a character.
Examples include:
 You snore louder than a freight train!
 It's a slow burg. I spent a couple of weeks there one day.
 She's so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.
 I had to walk 15 miles to school in the snow, uphill, in bare feet.
 You could've knocked me over with a feather.
Symbolism
Symbolism occurs when a word has its own meaning but is used to represent something
entirely different.
Examples in everyday life include:
 Using the image of the American flag to represent patriotism and a love for one’s country.
 Incorporating a red rose in your writing to symbolize love.
 Using an apple pie to represent a traditional American lifestyle.
 Using a chalkboard to represent education.
 Incorporating the color black in your writing as a symbol for evil or death.
 Using an owl to represent wisdom.
Symbolism examples in literature include:
“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and
their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” - As You Like It, William
Shakespeare
The “stage” here symbolizes the world and the “players” represent human beings.
“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it; I’m well aware, as
winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath a source
of little visible delight, but necessary.” - Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Bronte uses imagery of the natural world to symbolize the wild nature and deep feelings of her
characters.
Some Fun Sounds
So, that covers "the big five." But, we'd be remiss if we didn't briefly touch upon some literary
sound devices that can hang with the best similes and metaphors.
Alliteration
Alliteration is a sound device. It is the repetition of the first consonant sounds in several words.
Examples include:
 We're up, wide-eyed, and wondering while we wait for others to awaken.
 Betty bought butter but the butter was bitter, so Betty bought better butter to make the
bitter butter better.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is also a sound device where the words sound like their meaning, or mimic
sounds. They add a level of fun and reality to writing.
Here are some examples:
 The burning wood hissed and crackled.
 Sounds of nature are all around us. Listen for the croak, caw, buzz, whirr, swish, hum,
quack, meow, oink, and tweet.

ARCHIVIDO, R-JAY D.
CSMC 1A2, ENLISH 1